


A Humble Abode

by musicmuse0609



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alpha Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Alpha Logic | Logan Sanders, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders-centric, Anxious Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Anxious Thoughts, Aromantic Asexual Logic | Logan Sanders, Aromantic Character, Aromantic Logic | Logan Sanders, Asexual Character, Asexual Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Asexual Logic | Logan Sanders, Asexual Morality | Patton Sanders, Beta Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Biting, Gen, Genderbent Deceit | Janus Sanders, Imprinting, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Morality | Patton Sanders, Omega Verse, Past Abuse, Pheromones, Picani is Virgil's therapist, Platonic Cuddling, Queerplatonic Relationships, Slow Burn QPR, Therapist Dr. Emile Picani, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Unsympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 68,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26180314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmuse0609/pseuds/musicmuse0609
Summary: “I say I say WHAT NOW?” Dr. Picani exclaimed.Virgil sighed. "I said, My new roommates turned out to be a pack."Virgil is moving in with two alphas and an omega, and as a beta, he has no idea what to expect. All he knows is that they are a pack, a family, and he's not a part of it. As everyone struggles to adjust to this new living arrangement, Virgil realizes he has a lot to learn--about the others, and about himself.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 889
Kudos: 572





	1. Prologue: Session with Picani

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the non-sexual Omegaverse fic no one asked for! (Me, I asked for it.)
> 
> I intend for this to be a sort of introduction to Omegaverse for people who have never read it before. As such, there's a lot of exposition, and it touches on elements and themes that are common to Omegaverse fics (at least, the ones I'm familiar with). 
> 
> That being said, there are many elements to this fic that are uniquely my own. I made up the concept of packs, and the social dynamics I've created between betas, alphas and omegas are of my own design.
> 
> If you came here for smut, you're going to be disappointed. That's not what this fic is. Instead, it's a look at how ABO dynamics might affect the dynamic of the core four sides. I hope you stay and give it a chance anyway.
> 
> Content warning for this chapter include: mentions of anxiety, discussion of sex in the abstract (nothing explicit), discussion of genitalia (the section is marked, and you can skip it without missing anything)

“I say I say WHAT NOW?” Dr. Picani exclaimed.

Virgil sighed. He had known Emile wouldn’t like this news, but he expected a milder reaction. Apparently, after five years of working with his therapist, some of the professional boundaries between them had dropped, and Emile felt comfortable letting judgment seep into his tone. Not that Virgil minded. “I said, my new roommates turned out to be a pack.”

“Why in the name of the four nations would you do that to yourself?”

“I didn’t!” Virgil insisted. “How was I supposed to know they were a pack when I signed the lease!” He took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Look, I thought I was just moving in with three guys. I didn’t exactly ask for their secondary genders.”

“Interesting. So you assumed they were all betas like you?” Picani made a note on his pad.

“I don’t know, maybe? I guess I thought they were just friends, and their secondary genders were irrelevant.”

“You know that’s a very beta thing to say, right?”

“How so?”

“Secondary gender matters _a lot_ to alphas and omegas. Betas are the only ones who don’t care.”

Virgil could feel his face heating up. He didn’t enjoy revealing his ignorance when it came to alphas and omegas, but he couldn’t help it that he’d had something of a sheltered childhood. “Can we just get back to the whole ‘I’m moving in with a pack’ thing? I need your help, Doc.”

“Of course.” Picani cleared his throat. “Here’s what you need to understand, Virgil. This isn’t just a group of alphas or omegas; this is a _pack_. It’s a group of alphas or omegas who consider themselves a family unit. Members of packs are extremely protective of each other, _especially_ alphas. Outsiders get othered very easily, like Zuko when he first tries to join the Gaang.”

Virgil interrupted. “But the Gaang eventually accepted Zuko.”

“It’s a loose comparison. You won’t necessarily have the same experience.” Picani sighed. “Virgil, you have anxiety, and you struggle to relate to others.”

“Gee thanks, Doc. Anything else wrong with me?”

“That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It means that this could be a dangerous situation for your mental health. If the pack identifies you as a threat, even if you’ve done nothing wrong, then you will become unwelcome in your own home. That’s a hard situation to be in for anyone, and especially someone who struggles with mental health.”

Virgil could feel himself getting defensive. “You think I haven’t already thought about all that? I know the risk I’m taking.”

“Do you?” Picani demanded. “Because many betas are ignorant of what it’s really like to be alpha or omega, and if I’m not wrong, you’re one of them?”

Virgil was getting tired of this reprimand. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that alphas and omegas are—we’ll say _less than friendly_ toward betas under normal circumstances, and these are not normal circumstances. Your chances of being on good terms with your new roommates _individually_ are not very high to being with; add the fact that they’re a pack on top of that—”

“I get it!” Virgil exclaimed. “They probably won’t like me. And then they’ll shun me because I’m not a member of their pack! I’ve already screwed this up, and I haven’t even done anything yet!” He buried his head in his hands.

Picani’s tone softened. “Virgil, that’s not true. I apologize if I implied that you did anything wrong. That wasn’t my intention. I’m just worried about your well-being. I don’t want you to be in a situation that’s unsafe for you.”

Virgil sat back up. “You think I don’t want the same thing? I’m not trying to be reckless. I just made a mistake. Okay, sure, I should have taken their secondary genders into account before I signed the lease. But I didn’t, and now we’re here, so what do we do now?”

Picani adjusted his tie. “Well, as an omega myself, I can help educate you and guide you through this experience. That way, you’re less likely to make stupid mistakes.”

“Helping me make fewer mistake is the reason I pay you.”

“No, it’s the reason your insurance pays me.”

Virgil snapped and pointed at his therapist. “Truth.”

“Now, in the interest of being thorough, let’s go over the basics—”

“That’s probably a good idea. Sex ed at my school only went over primary genders.”

Picani sighed and said under his breath, “Sex ed in the country is woefully inadequate.” He clapped. “Okay, we’re going to start with a little biology. Fair warning: we will be talking about genitalia.”

“Do we have to?” Virgil moaned.

“Nothing sexual, don’t worry. But, audience, if you don’t want to read about that kind of thing, feel free to just skip this whole paragraph.” Virgil’s eyebrows pulled together. What “audience” was he referring to? What paragraph? But Picani had already started his rant. “(As a side note, just to simplify things, we’re going to be using cisnormative language and assume that everyone is cisgender while acknowledging that trans people and intersex people do exist. Here we go.) Everyone has one of two primary genders: male or female. Everyone also has one of three secondary genders: alpha, omega, or beta. That means that there are six different variations of reproductive anatomy and secondary sex characteristics: male alpha, male omega, male beta, female alpha, female omega, and female beta. Virgil, you’re familiar with male and female betas. Betas can be thought of as lacking a secondary gender, so we can use male and female betas as a concept of human neutral (which is controversial, but again, we’re simplifying). The secondary genders of alpha and omega build off of that concept of human neutral. So as a starting place, all males have a penis and testicles, and all females have a vagina and uterus.” Virgil tried, he really tried not to feel embarrassed, but he wasn’t used to talking about this stuff, and he could feel himself blushing. “First, let’s take male alphas. Male alphas, due to higher levels of testosterone, have larger penises than male betas. Then there’s female alphas, who have both a penis and a vagina and uterus. All alphas, male and female, have a knot at the base of their penises (and if you don’t understand what that means, don’t worry about it, it’s KNOT important!)” Virgil gave Picani a small, “Boo.” “Moving on to omegas. Omegas are defined by their ability to carry and birth offspring, even the males. Female omegas look similar to female betas, but they get heats instead of periods (we don’t have to talk about heats yet. All you need to know for now is that it’s the omega version of a period). Male omegas, in my opinion, are the most fascinating (and it has nothing to do with the fact that it’s my identity, I assure you). Like female alphas, they have both a penis and a vagina and uterus. Their penises tend to be smaller than male betas, and just like female omegas, they have heats, not periods.

“Now for some secondary sex characteristics. Alphas tend to be aggressive and protective, and again due to higher levels of testosterone they tend to be physically bigger and more muscular than betas. Omegas tend to be smaller than betas, even the males. They’re gentle, agreeable, and natural caretakers; but whether this is due to nature or societal gender roles is hard to say. Either way, this is all an oversimplification. Alphas and omegas come in many shapes, sizes, and temperaments, just like betas do. Any questions?”

As Virgil stared at Picani, he could feel his face on fire.

“Now Virgil, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just the human body.”

“Just the sex parts of the human body that people use for sex.”

“There’s more to alphas and omegas than just sex, just like with betas. I mean, there’s more to you than just your sex life.”

“Ha! If there wasn’t, I’d be dead.”

“I see,” Picani took some more notes. “So what you’re saying is that just because people have genitalia doesn’t mean that they use them for sexual purposes?”

“Is that a drag?”

“Not if you don’t take it that way!”

Virgil smiled. He really did like his therapist, even when they talked about uncomfortable things. It was the way Emile talked about uncomfortable things, by using qualifiers and reminding Virgil that things were always more complicated than they seemed, how he could touch on nuance even while boiling things down to basics. He had really helped Virgil over the last five years, turning him from an anxious mess to a semi-competent adult, and Virgil would be forever grateful. “Not at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for giving this fic a chance! If you have decided it's not for you, that's okay. Thank you for stopping by! But if you want to read more, Great! Updates will be posted on Fridays.
> 
> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they might even motivate me to post updates more frequently (hint hint, nudge nudge).


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil meets the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A middle-of-the-week update? In my posting schedule? It's more likely than you think!
> 
> I didn't expect this fic to reach 100 hits in less than a week, so to celebrate, you get the second chapter early. I'll still post another chapter on Friday, so look forward to that!
> 
> Content warnings: alcohol mention, swearing

Virgil arrived at his new place in the evening. He shuffled his way through the door under the weight of his two duffel bags and backpack. Thank god the door was unlocked. He had a couple of boxes in the car, but that was the extent of his worldly possessions. It wouldn’t take him long to unpack.

The swinging of one of his duffel bags nearly took his legs out from under him, _again_. He dropped them down in the middle of the entry way. “New person!” came a voice from the living room. He turned to find three men lounging on the single couch that occupied the space. One had his legs folded over the arm of the couch, nose in a book, back resting against the back of the middle one, who was beaming at Virgil and was probably the one who spoke. The middle one was comically smaller than the other two. His legs were draped over the third, who was sitting crisscross at the other end and eying Virgil warily.

The middle one hopped up off the couch, causing the first to nearly fall back, but he caught himself without taking his eyes off the book, an impressive feat. Meanwhile, the one who had stood up was currently _skipping_ his way over to Virgil. It wasn’t a large apartment, though, so there was only enough room for three hops, but still. When he reached Virgil, Virgil had to look down to make eye contact with him. Virgil wasn’t tall by any means, but this man’s head was lower than Virgil’s shoulders. He was the size of a large child. The glasses and round cheeks only enhanced the illusion that he was much younger than he actually was. The only reason Virgil knew that he was an adult was because the one he’d been texting—Logan—had informed him that they were all old enough to drink.

“You must be Virgil,” he said with excitement. “It’s nice to meet you! Welcome home!”

After Emile’s warnings about packs, this was not what Virgil had been expecting. Not only was he not being shunned, but he was being welcomed? Where was the animosity?

Virgil looked up past the small one to the other two. The one was still reading, and the other, the one who had been eying him warily, was now standing, arms crossed over his impressive chest, staring Virgil down. Oh. There was the animosity.

Virgil got the sense that he better be friendly back. “Hello. Thank you.”

“Would you like help with your bags? I can show you to your room.”

The bags were about as large as the man himself. “Uh, no, I got—” But he was already lifting and had swung one of them over his shoulder. It seemed to be giving him no trouble at all. “Oh, okay, sure.”

He followed the man through a hallway full of doors. The one he opened was the second to the left. When he revealed what was inside, he said, “Ta da!” Virgil stepped inside, dropping his bags on the ground. The man behind him did the same.

There was nothing special about the room. It was kind of small. A queen-sized mattress would take up most of the space, so it was a good thing Virgil didn’t have one. A person he knew from Facebook was giving him their extra twin mattress, but he wasn’t picking that up until later in the week. For now, it was the sleeping bag life for Virgil. There was a window overlooking the parking lot. The closet was pitiful, but it would hold all of his clothes and shoes, which was all he needed.

“So, what do you think?” The man was bouncing on his toes in anticipation.

Virgil gave him a half smile. “It’s… nice.” It was the nicest thing he could think to say about it. It wasn’t much, but it was Virgil’s. The man’s responding smile was blinding, and Virgil couldn’t help but smile in return. “I have some boxes in the car, do you want to help me bring them up?”

“Sure!” he said, turning out the door. “We can have the alphas help us.” No sooner had he said that than he bumped into one of the others, the one without the book, who was hovering in the hallway, eyes trained on Virgil. The small one was unfazed. “Oh, Roman! Virgil has boxes in his car. Can you help us go get them?”

This one—Roman—didn’t take his eyes off of Virgil as he replied, “Of course.” The small one passed Roman, and Virgil could hear him in the living room delivering the same request to the book one—Logan, if Virgil heard him correctly. Virgil approached the hallway. Roman’s eyes followed him. He didn’t move as Virgil squeezed past him, and when he passed, Virgil could see just how much bigger Roman was than him. It had to be a height difference of about six inches, and Virgil could feel every inch bearing down on him. He was all muscle, which made him wider than Virgil, too (not that that was hard, considering how skinny he was). He hated to turn his back on this one, but it appeared that he didn’t have a choice. And every step he walked to the front door, he could feel Roman on his heel, ever present. He reminded himself that he hadn’t done anything, and this was just how alphas were.

Wait, that couldn’t be true because the book one—Logan—didn’t seem to care about him at all. Huh. So it was just this Roman character then?

They followed Virgil to his car, and with everyone helping, they were able to unload all the boxes in one trip. Once again, the small one showed his surprising strength when he picked up Virgil’s box of books and stacked a lighter box on top of that. Virgil had to admit he was impressed. He balanced his box on his knee, locked his car, and followed the others back up to the apartment.

After the boxes had all been delivered to Virgil’s room, the small one urged them all into the living room. Virgil was confused about why they needed him, but he went anyway. It appeared he wasn’t the only one because the book one asked, “Why are we all in needed in the living room?”

“We haven’t introduced ourselves yet,” the small one said. He bounced up to Virgil (it was the only way Virgil could describe his movements) and held out his hand. “I’m Patton! I use he/him pronouns, and I’m an omega!”

That made sense. He was everything an omega should be: small, round, and personable. Virgil shook his hand. Patton smiled at him, and Virgil caught a glimpse of his omega canines—shorter than those of an alpha, but no less sharp.

The book one went next. “My name is Logan. I’m the one you’ve been messaging since you reached out to us about living together. I use he/him pronouns, and I’m an alpha.” He nodded.

From their conversations, Virgil had gleaned that he was straightforward and logical. Now, he could tell by Logan’s sharp, stoic features that he was a no-nonsense type of person, which his glasses helped to portray. He was much skinnier than Roman, and he wasn’t as tall, but he was still taller than Virgil. The combination of traits made him intellectually intimidating, similar to the way Roman was physically intimidating. Virgil nodded back. So far, his interactions with Logan had been neutral, and he didn’t want to know what it was like to get on Logan’s bad side.

Of all the ridiculous things to do, the last one posed as he introduced himself. “And I am the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible Roman Sanders!” He bowed. He fucking bowed.

“Was that a Mulan reference?” Virgil said.

“It was indeed!” He beamed. “I’m an alpha and I use he/him pronouns. And don’t you dare use she/her to refer to me!”

“Why would I do that?” Virgil asked, genuinely confused.

Roman also looked confused. “Wait, are you serious?”

Patton jumped up and down and clapped, grinning from ear to ear. “See Roman, I told you you passed!”

“Passed what?” Virgil said. Was there some kind of weird alpha test that Roman had to do?

“Passed as male,” Logan clarified. “Roman was assigned female at birth.”

Roman gave an offended scoff and slapped Logan in the pec with the back of his hand. “Thanks for outing me!”

“Oh, you’re trans!” Virgil said. “I wouldn’t have had any idea of Logan hadn’t told me. I thought you were a cis male.” Was that a compliment for trans people, or was that bad? Virgil genuinely didn’t know and was worried he was about to have his ass handed to him by an offended alpha.

But Roman preened, clearly taking Virgil’s exclamation as a compliment.

“And Logan told us all about you,” Patton said, bouncing again. “You’re Virgil, you use he/him pronouns, and you’re an alpha!”

Virgil’s eyes bulged out of his head. A what now? There had to be some mistake. Had Logan really said that? “What? No, I’m a beta.”

Patton’s eyebrows drew together. “A beta? But you smell like an alpha.”

They could smell him!? This night just kept getting weirder.

Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No, he’s a beta. I told you this.”

Roman pointed, clearly confused. “But I smell alpha, too.”

“And I smell beta, which is what Virgil says he is,” Logan said.

This was about as much as Virgil could take. They were talking about him _and his scent_ like he wasn’t in the room. “Okay, uh, I think it’s time for me to start unpacking. Just one more thing: can we have a conversation about house rules later? Like boundaries and stuff?” Asserting his boundaries was something he and Emile were working on together.

They all indicated their assent, which was a relief for Virgil.

“Great. Then I’ll see you all later.”

As he made his way toward his room, he heard Patton call behind him, “Goodnight, Virgil!”

Virgil half-turned, gave a single wave, and turned his back on the pack for the night.

Well, that could have gone worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they might even motivate me to post chapters more frequently.


	3. Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group talks about house rules, and Virgil says something he can't take back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today, but it's an important one.
> 
> Content warnings: mentions of sex (nothing explicit), mentions of alcohol and smoking, mention of self-deprecation

Patton promptly created a group chat for the four of them so they could coordinate things like when to talk about house rules. It took almost a week to coordinate their schedules so that all four of them were available. They all had day jobs, and Logan especially tended to be busy, what with working toward his master’s degree in chemical engineering, working at the campus library, and doing small coding projects on the side for extra cash. Roman had just started working at his job as an actor at Disney World, so he was the new guy who had to work odd hours. Virgil’s job as an assistant manager at Hot Topic didn’t exactly have consistent hours either. Only Patton’s job as a dog groomer seemed to be reliable in terms of scheduling. But they finally worked it out, figuring out that Thursday nights, of all days, was a common time off.

The pack sat on the couch while Virgil took one of the folding chairs that they had purchased for extra seating. Apparently, it was only temporary until they could get their hands on some real furniture, but Virgil had doubts. At least he finally had a mattress. He could feel his otherness, like he was sitting in _their_ living room on _their_ chair in _their_ apartment. It wasn’t anything that they had done (not that he enjoyed the way Roman watched him like a hawk), but it was in the way they interacted with each other, like a family, versus the way they interacted with Virgil, like a stranger. Which, he supposed, was absolutely, exactly true. Even now, they were talking amongst themselves like Virgil wasn’t even there.

With all of them assembled, Logan stood up. He placed himself in the middle of the living room, clearly taking on the role of mediator in this conversation. “As you all know, we’re here to discuss house rules.”

“And boundaries,” Virgil added.

“Yes, and boundaries.” He took a pen out of his pocket and tapped the notebook he was holding. “I will be taking notes, and I have a list of topics we need to cover in this conversation. We need to talk about paying bills, the cooking schedule, how we’re going to divide up the groceries, shopping schedule, how we’re going to divide cleaning, quiet hours, our policy about visitors, and the showering schedule. Anything else anyone can think of?”

Virgil raised his hand. His face immediately went red as he realized that he probably didn’t need to do this.

It didn’t faze Logan. “Yes, Virgil?”

“What about alcohol and smoking in the apartment?

“Do you drink or smoke?”

“No,” Virgil admitted. He hated smoking, and he couldn’t have alcohol with his anxiety meds.

“Good. Neither do we, so it’s irrelevant.”

Virgil glanced over at the others to see if they were uncomfortable with Logan speaking for them, but they seemed perfectly content with the conversation thus far.

“Okay, shall we move on to paying the bills?”

Virgil raised his hand again. He didn’t know why, but Logan had the air of a teacher leading a lecture, and Virgil felt like he was back in college.

“Yes, Virgil?”

“What about our policy about sex in the apartment?”

Virgil was met with silence.

He rushed to fill it, unfortunately in the worst way possible. “I mean, being a pack means you’re all together, right? I’ve noticed the walls are kind of thin, and I was just hoping that you guys could keep the weird sex stuff to a minimum.”

Patton looked down at the ground, appearing a bit nauseous. Logan glared at him, and Virgil heard Roman say, “How dare you—”

Logan cut him off, voice curt. “Virgil, I’m going to say this once, since you’re a beta and you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.” His hands curled into fists. “We don’t take too kindly to people making assumptions about our pack. Here’s what you need to know. We are not ‘together,’ as you put it, so there is no ‘weird sex stuff.’ And even if there was, you are in no position to judge what we do or do not do as a pack. So, mind your own business. Do I make myself clear.” It wasn’t a question.

Virgil swallowed hard. Logan hadn’t raised his voice. His words were slow, articulated and restrained. That’s what made them so terrifying. And he deserved it. He had clearly dug himself in this hole, and he didn’t trust himself not to make it deeper. “We’re clear.”

“The thing is, Virgil,” Patton said, speaking up for the first time, “we all identify on the asexual spectrum. That’s why our pack works the way it does. And I’m sex repulsed on top of it. So actually, if you could keep _your_ sex stuff to a minimum, we would appreciate it.”

Virgil didn’t trust himself to speak, so he just nodded. Just like he’d told Emile, he had no sex life to speak of, but he didn’t have to share that information with the pack.

They continued on with the conversation, and Virgil kept his head down, letting the pack hash out the details of his life amongst themselves. Occasionally he would nod or say, “That’s fine.” He felt like he had lost his ability to say no or to ask for concessions. So much for asserting his boundaries. His leg bounced as his anxiety skyrocketed. Oh well. Sooner or later they would learn about his inability to cook and his terrible mental health, which affected his ability to clean or shower at the same time each day.

Eventually, they strayed from their original purpose, and it became more of a casual conversation. Virgil figure that was as good a time as any to excuse himself. Their voices froze as they registered that he was leaving the room, but they resumed shortly after he disappeared from sight. He heard someone laugh, and he figured that they were probably relieved for him to be gone.

He spent the night drowning in self-deprecation, for what felt like the first time in a while. Huh. He and Emile must be making progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	4. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton and Virgil talk about what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings: swearing

He saw them in passing. He noticed Patton cleaning the kitchen when he got back from work. He heard Roman singing in the shower. He bumped into Logan in the hallway on his way to the bathroom. He also saw them interacting with each other. The way Patton would pass Logan working on an assignment and would lay his hand on his shoulder. The way Roman would tell a joke and Patton would laugh. The way Logan and Roman cooked together like a well-oiled machine. And he compared it to the way they treated him, giving him furtive glances with narrowed eyes. He could feel their apprehension around him. It was in the way conversation stopped when he entered the room, only to have it pick up again at a lower volume. Even Patton, who initially seemed so friendly, acted guarded around Virgil.

_That’s fine_ , Virgil thought. _Not like they have any reason to trust me_.

Virgil made a habit of cleaning up after dinner. It wasn’t his favorite thing to do, but the last thing he wanted was to give them another reason to hate him. So he pulled his weight, or at least, he tried. Patton helped him on the nights he wasn’t cooking. They worked in silence for almost a week, until one night when Patton spoke up.

“Hey, Virgil?”

“Yeah?” They were tag-teaming on hand washing the dishes. Patton was at the sink, and Virgil was drying and putting things away. They had discovered that this worked out well because Virgil preferred not to scrub, and Patton couldn’t reach the higher shelves.

“I’ve been wanting to say this for a couple of days, but I’m sorry about the way Logan treated you last week.”

Virgil was confused. “What do you mean?”

“You know, when we were talking about house rules, and you said the thing. . . about the thing. . .” Patton hedged. “And then Logan yelled at you for it?”

The stupid comment Virgil made came rushing back to him along with the shame that followed. “Oh. _Oh_.” His eyebrows pulled together. “Wait, that was yelling?”

“For Logan, that’s about as close as it gets.”

Virgil shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I deserved it.”

Patton looked over at Virgil with concern. “You don’t really think that, do you?”

“What?”

“I mean, if I’m not mistaken, this is your first time being around alphas and omegas like this?”

Virgil could feel his face heating up. “Yeah, so?”

“So, it’s not your fault you’re still learning. Everyone makes mistakes like that before they understand.”

Virgil shrugged again. “That doesn’t give me the right to be an asshole.”

“That’s true. But I did notice that you got really quiet after it happened, and we did a lot of talking about you like you weren’t in the room.”

“S’fine.”

Patton turned the water off. “You don’t have to do that you know.”

Virgil focused on the pot he was drying and very intentionally _did not_ look at Patton. “Do what?”

“Pretend to be okay when you’re not.” Patton dried his hand. Virgil wasn’t really sure why. They weren’t done with the dishes.

“Oh. I, uh—” Virgil continued to fumble for words.

Patton laid his freshly dried hand on Virgil’s arm, but Virgil flinched away. Patton withdrew with a sad smile. “It’s okay to ask for things you need.”

Virgil was grateful. He needed the reminder. He gave Patton a half smile. “Thanks.”

“So, were you really okay with all the stuff we talked about? Because if you need anything to change, I can talk to the other two, no problem.”

Virgil was about to say that everything was fine again, but he heard Emile’s voice in his head encouraging him to assert his boundaries. “Actually, there was some stuff.”

Patton crossed his arms and leaned on the counter. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Like I can’t cook for shit.”

“Now kiddo, there’s no need for that kind of language.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I think you guys gave me—what, Monday nights for me to be the one to cook dinner?”

“Mondays, yup.”

“But cooking really stresses me out, and I’m really bad at it, so. . .”

“No worries! Mondays can be leftover night, or we can order takeout. We would have to adjust the budget, but Logan loves budgeting, so that won’t be a problem.”

Virgil smiled at Patton’s easy acceptance of his request. “Also, I can’t afford all the groceries. I know you guys need me to do the shopping since I’m the only one with a working car, and that’s fine, but I don’t have the kind of money to buy groceries for four people, even if you pay me back later.”

“Hmm,” Patton said. “What if we gave you the money _before_ you go shopping?”

“That would work.” Virgil could physically feel the tension leaving his shoulders, the conversation was going so well.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Virgil said, feeling his courage return to him. “My mental health is garbage. I know Logan wants us to stick to a schedule for cleaning and showering, but I don’t think I can do that. I mean, I’m not trying to slack off in terms of cleaning, but I can’t always commit to getting it done in a timely manner.”

“It sounds like you need a little flexibility there. And that’s okay! Is there anything we can do to make it easier for you?”

“I don’t think so. Just being patient with me would really help.”

“Absolutely! And don’t worry about the shower schedule. Logan’s the only one who will stick to it. It will drive him crazy for a little while, and then he’ll let it go. Besides, with two bathrooms, it shouldn’t be a problem. Just don’t hog the bathroom when it’s someone else’s turn, and you should be ay-okay!”

Virgil let out a sigh of relief. “Cool. I think that’s everything.”

“Neato! Well, I’ll go and write that stuff down, so I’ll remember what to tell Roman and Logan.”

As he left the kitchen, Virgil said, “Hey, Patton?”

Patton turned around. “Yeah, Virgil?”

Virgil smiled. “Thanks.”

Patton smiled back. “Anytime, kiddo!”

“Also, I got the rest of the dishes.”

“Oh! You sure?”

Virgil felt like it was the least he could do. “Positive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving comments and kudos are great ways to show appreciation to you friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post middle-of-the-week updates like this one. Next update on Friday!


	5. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil walks in on the pack playing a game.

“Roman, it’s still your turn!”

“Wait, Patton, I thought it was my turn.”

“Yeah, I thought I finished my turn.”

“Did you? I guess I lost track.”

This was the scene that Virgil walked in on when he got home from work the next night. The pack was playing some sort of board game, and apparently it was complicated because they kept arguing about the rules.

“Patton, hold your hand up. I can see your cards.”

“I am holding my hand up. You’re just so much taller than me.”

He hung his jacket up in the entry closet. His plan was to go back to his room.

“Well, now I’m really confused. Should we just start over?”

“Sure, Roman. Virgil! Do you want to play?”

Virgil froze. This was the last thing he expected to hear from Patton. And judging by the looks on the alpha’s faces, they were experiencing the same shock. Virgil wasn’t sure he’d be welcomed by Logan and especially Roman. But Patton had already invited him, and he actually really liked playing games. It gave his mind something to focus on besides his anxiety. He shifted his weight, starting to make his way over to where they were seated at their kitchen table. “Sure.” No one voiced any dissent, so Virgil took that as a win.

To Virgil’s dismay, when he got a good look at the board, he realized he didn’t recognize it at all. “I don’t think I’ve ever played this game before.”

Logan sighed. “It’s a favorite of Patton’s, but for the life of me, I can never figure it out. It’s nonsensical.”

“It’s fun!” Patton said. Virgil took a seat in the empty chair. It put him across from Patton, between Roman and Logan. _This will be fun_ , Virgil thought sarcastically. “Don’t worry, we’ll explain it to you as we go.”

Logan turned out to be right. The game was complete nonsense. The rules were convoluted, and apparently you were allowed to cheat as long as no one caught you (which, Virgil supposed, was true about any game, but it was strange to have it codified in the rule book). Virgil tried to comprehend the cards in his hand, but he didn’t understand the purpose of half of them. It was comforting to know that Logan was struggling just as much as he was, though that comfort was undercut by the fact that Roman wouldn’t take his eyes off Virgil. It was unsettling.

“Alright, that’s the end of my turn,” Patton announced. He turned to Roman. “Your turn.”

Roman didn’t move, eyes trained on Virgil. What was his deal?

Patton’s eyes bounced between the two of them, and he realized what was going on. “Roman!”

Roman jumped. “What?”

“It’s your turn.”

He glanced at Virgil once more before focusing on the game, and when his turn was finished, he was right back to staring at Virgil.

Patton had to guide Virgil through his turn. “Alright, Virgil, the first thing you want to do is lay down any equipment cards in your hand. You can do this at any point during your turn, but you want to do it as soon as possible because it will help you with the first phase of your turn. Very good. Now, you draw from the first pile. If it’s a monster card, you fight it, and if it’s not, you put it in your hand. Yeah, that goes in your hand. Now, it’s time for the second phase of your turn. You either play a monster card from your hand, or you draw from the first pile again.”

“There’s another pile of cards. What’s that for?”

“You draw from that pile when you defeat monsters. You haven’t defeated a monster yet.”

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do, so I’m gonna draw. Oh, wait, this is a monster card. I fight it, right?”

“No, it goes in your hand.”

Virgil blinked. “But you just said—”

“You fight it if you draw it in phase _one_. But if you draw it in phase _two_ , it just goes in your hand.”

“That’s so confusing. Why is it like that?”

Patton shrugged. “I didn’t write the game.”

Logan leaned over and whispered, “I don’t understand it, either.”

“Alright, if you don’t have anything else to lay down, then it’s Logan’s turn!”

Virgil set his hand down on the table and started massaging his temples. This was going to be a long game.

Virgil didn’t feel too bad about struggling with the rules after watching Patton walk Logan through his turn, as well. The general premise of the game was pretty easy to grasp—all you had to do was get to level ten first—but there were so many little rules, Patton seemed to be making them up on the spot. There were class cards that functioned like equipment cards but were different, and then there were curse cards that had their own rules, and some cards that didn’t fit into any category whatsoever. Virgil drew a card whose sole purpose was to let the user change the rules of the game, and Virgil felt like he didn’t know the rules well enough to use it.

But the biggest surprise of the game was that Virgil was _good_ at it. Even though he didn’t know what he was doing, he surpassed the other players with ease. Pretty soon, Roman was eying him not with suspicion but with awed surprise. Even Logan looked impressed.

Virgil’s turn came around again. “Patton?”

“Yep?”

“You said that you can sell equipment cards to gain levels, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“So,” Virgil said, double-checking his math, “if I sell all my equipment cards, I can gain three levels?”

Patton counted. “That’s true, yes.”

“And since I’m at level seven, that puts me at level ten, and I win?”

A slow smile spread on Patton’s face. “Oh my goodness, you won!”

Virgil moved his marker to make it official, suppressing his proud smile. He looked up at the others. They were all staring at him. He looked down again. “What? I’m good at board games.”

Logan glanced between him and the board. “How did you do that?”

Virgil shrugged. “Part of it is luck. You have to draw the right cards.”

Roman held out his hand. “Well played, Johnny Depp-ressed.”

Virgil ignored the nick name and shook his hand.

Patton asked, “Do you want to play again?”

There was a chorus of _no’s_ , and everyone laughed. For a second Virgil allowed himself to believe that he was part of this group, and that he wasn’t still an outsider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post more frequent updates.


	6. Danger Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil has an anxiety attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anxious thinking is a general warning for the whole fic because most of it is told from Virgil's point of view, and Virgil has anxiety. But the warning is particularly strong for this chapter, which describes an anxiety attack. Please take care of yourselves!

Virgil pulled his knees against his chest, physically restricting his breathing the way it was already emotionally restricted. The pressure helped a little, but not nearly enough. Sharp dread swirled in Virgil’s chest, all-consuming and inescapable.

There was no denying it: Virgil was having an anxiety attack.

He was wallowing in hopelessness. His future looked like a never-ending void of retail, and Virgil couldn’t see a way out of it. He had no degree and no money to finish the one he started. And even if he did, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He had no goals or aspirations to speak of, nothing to work toward. He wondered if it was a defense mechanism, like he couldn’t fail to reach his goals if he never had any in the first place. Saving himself from disappointment in advance.

But that meant that his life had no purpose. His only objective was to get up in the morning and survive until it was time to go to bed, only to wake up and do it all over again. His life was a continuous cycle of rinse and repeat. If only it were that easy. He had to fight so hard to do the simplest things. Making phone calls. Feeding himself. Going to work. Cleaning himself and the apartment. None of that should take the gargantuan amount of effort he had to expend to get them done.

And what was he fighting so hard for, anyway? His options in life were limited at best, and with his mental health issues to contend with, any of those options were varying degrees of daunting. And it wasn’t like he had anyone to live for. Sometimes, the only reason he didn’t give up was because he knew Emile would be disappointed in him if he did.

So instead of giving up, he was sitting in the living room in the middle of the night, drowning on dry land from the storm in his head.

Just when he thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he heard one of the bedroom doors open. His hope that his roommate was just getting up to use the bathroom was obliterated when he heard footsteps walking down the hall. He quickly did the math in his head, and he figured he had about a fifty percent chance of the impending interaction going well: it certainly would if it was Patton, it certainly would _not_ if it was Roman, and if it was Logan, it would depend on his mood.

Whichever roommate it was went directly to the kitchen, so he either didn’t see Virgil or didn’t bother to acknowledge his existence, and in Virgil’s current state of mind, he figured both were equally likely. Virgil couldn’t see the kitchen from his position on the couch, but he heard what was going on just fine. The fridge opened and closed. Water was poured from the pitcher into a large receptacle. The pitcher was refilled from the tap, and the fridge opened and closed again. Footsteps padded away from the kitchen, but before they retreated, Patton passed in front of Virgil on his way to turn the lamp off.

These days, Virgil’s attacks were subtle. They tended to implode rather than explode. There may have been a storm brewing in his head, anxiety crushing his chest, but he could have full-on conversations with people without giving any indication that anything was wrong. He had plenty of practice from hiding the anxiety attacks he got at work. So his voice didn’t shake at all as he said, “I was using that.”

“Ah!” Patton jumped and turned around, eyes wide with fear. But when he saw Virgil, his face softened. “Virgil.” He took a deep breath. Virgil wished he was able to so that. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” Virgil mumbled, and he really did feel bad about it. As much as he didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, he hadn’t meant to be so still that Patton didn’t see him at all.

“No need to apologize,” Patton assured him. “I just didn’t see you there.”

Virgil shrugged. “I mean, I’m not moving, so.”

Patton took a sip from his water bottle. “Whatcha doing out here so late?”

The truth was that Virgil’s anxiety had kept him awake, and in his failed attempt to distract himself, he had run his phone battery down. He had gotten up to fetch his charger from the living room, but by the time he got there, he didn’t have it in him to make it back to his room. He’d spent an indeterminable number of minutes curled up on the couch, staring at nothing as he waited for his phone to charge, succumbing to the darkness of his mind. But Patton didn’t need to know all of that. “Couldn’t sleep. You?”

Patton held up his water bottle. “Thirsty.” His eyebrows pulled together, and he tilted his head. “Is everything okay?”

_Nothing is okay_. “M’fine.”

As his head straightened up, his narrowed his eyes, like he didn’t believe Virgil. To be fair, he was lying. But Patton just said, “Okay,” and Virgil thought that was the end of it. Instead, Patton asked, “Do you mind if I sit out here with you for a little while?”

Yes, he did mind. He preferred to freak out in private. And yes, he could go to his room, but his anxiety had frozen him in place, and he knew from experience that he wouldn’t be able to move until he calmed down a bit. But in his anxious state, he also didn’t have the capacity to say no, so he just said, “Sure,” and Patton sat down.

Now that Patton was next to him, Virgil tried harder to get his anxiety under control, but it was like trying to hold water: the more he tried to grasp it, the more it slipped through his fingers. As an added bonus, his anxious thoughts now had Patton to use against him. They had gotten along just fine until now, but how long would it last? Was it only a matter of time before Patton turned on him? It wasn’t like they were friends. And once Patton hated him, how long would it be before Logan gave up on whatever cordiality existed between them and turned on him too? What would he do once the pack was openly hostile toward him? Would he be safe in his own home? Emile was right. This could only end badly. They might even kick him out, and then he would end up homeless, and then—

“I know you’re not okay.”

Virgil froze at Patton’s words. He thought he was doing a good job of hiding it, but apparently, he was deluding himself.

Patton continued. “I don’t know how I know, but I know. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but if you do, I can listen.”

His voice was so soft, so gentle, Virgil almost believed him. But there was no way Patton would actually be okay with Virgil unloading his anxiety on him. Why would someone choose to expose themselves to someone else’s baggage, especially someone they barely knew? Patton was a nice person—too nice for his own good. That had to be the explanation. He was just being nice. He didn’t really want to hear about Virgil’s demons.

Virgil’s mental Emile slapped him in the face with the reminder that it was okay to ask for help and that he wasn’t a burden for needing it. Here was this person _offering to help him_ , and Virgil was questioning it like it was a bluff. And sure, maybe Virgil had trust issues—okay, Virgil _definitely_ had trust issues—but wouldn’t now be the perfect opportunity to prove himself wrong? It was a pretty safe risk to take. Everything that Patton had done up to this point had proven that he was a trustworthy person and that his desire to help Virgil was genuine. If he could trust any person he was still getting to know, it was this one.

The only problem now was that Virgil didn’t know where to start. The thoughts were all jumbled and knotted in his head, he couldn’t find the end of the rope. Like someone had dumped a jillion-piece puzzle in front of him, and he couldn’t find an edge piece. So he started with the most basic thing that he could, something Patton already knew. “I’m not okay.”

He didn’t expect to get choked up, for tears to form in the corners of his eyes at this simple admission, but saying it out loud exposed a sadness he hadn’t been aware he’d been carrying around. He wasn’t okay in more ways than he was even aware of. He and Emile would need to explore that later. But for now, he swallowed the tears and added, “I’m having an anxiety attack.”

After a beat of silence, Patton gave a quiet, “What about?”

It was simple, but it was what Virgil needed to encourage him to go on. He found his edge piece. “I guess I just feel really hopeless.”

“Hopeless about what?”

The rope started unraveling. “My future. I feel like I don’t have one, at least, not one I want. What if my life never gets better?”

Patton took a sip from his water bottle. “That sounds hard.”

It was such a small thing—all Patton was doing was stating the obvious—but it was nice to hear someone say it out loud. “It is.”

“Do you want advice or someone to listen?”

No one had ever asked him that question before, and he had no idea how to answer it. What _did_ he want? “I guess some advice wouldn’t hurt. But if your advice is, ‘Go to college,’ I already tried that.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“Oh.”

Virgil felt the couch reform as Patton stood. He placed himself in front of Virgil, and Virgil looked up to see his face. “The idea that people are supposed to have their lives figured out in their early-to-mid-twenties is unrealistic and harmful to people’s self-esteem. Many people change their lives around in their thirties, forties, fifties, and even later. Some people don’t discover their passions or achieve ‘success’ until well into old age. I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but I’ve heard of famous authors and actors like that. It’s never too late to turn your life around.”

“That’s great, but I don’t even know what I need to do to make my life better. I guess I just feel,” he searched for a word, but the only one he could come up with was, “stuck.”

Patton stroked his chin like he was thinking, and Virgil couldn’t help but think it looked a little adorable. “Here’s the thing, Virgil,” he finally said, “the only thing that’s truly constant about life is change. Things have a way of not staying the same for very long. And a lot of times, that’s a good thing! Change makes life interesting. You may feel stuck right now, but I’ve seen how hard you work. You’ll figure out a way to get unstuck, and when you do, you’ll make it happen. Just be patient, kiddo.” He smiled.

Patton words stirred something in Virgil, and he remembered why he kept fighting. He fought for the possibility that maybe— _maybe_ —tomorrow wouldn’t suck as much as today. He fought for the possibility of a better future, even if he didn’t know what it looked like. He fought for a future version of himself who was happy, who was glad he hadn’t given up.

Virgil’s chest expanded for the first time in hours as he took a full breath. The dread eased ever so slightly, and he loosened his arms to make room for more air. As he breathed, the tension in his shoulders drained. There was still a weight in his chest, but the storm in his head quieted to a dull roar. The attack wasn’t over; he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but he could see the path to get there. After Patton went to bed, he would do some of the deep breathing exercises Emile had shown him. And if he was lucky, he might actually be able to get some sleep tonight.

Virgil smiled crookedly at Patton. “Thanks. That—helps.”

Patton’s smile widened. “Anytime!” He pointed at Virgil, and his face became severe. “And I mean that. You can wake me up in the middle of the night if you need to. Text me at work. Pull me away when I’m spending time with the pack. I’m here for you.”

Virgil wasn’t ready to interrupt Patton’s life just to reach out for help, but he appreciated the sentiment. “Thank you.”

Patton yawned. “Is there anything else I can do to help you?”

Patton’s presence was comforting, but he was starting to sway, like he might fall asleep where he stood. “Go to bed,” Virgil said. “Take care of yourself. I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure? I can sit out here with you a little longer if you—” he was interrupted by another yawn.

Virgil pointed. “Bed. Go.”

Patton chuckled. “If you say so.” He grabbed his water bottle, saying, “Goodnight, Virgil,” as he walked away.

“G’night,” Virgil replied. He listened to Patton walk down the hall, open his door, and close it.

When Patton went to bed, he took his calming presence with him, and Virgil started struggling to breathe again. But if he was anything, he was stubborn, and he fought his way through breathing exercises until his body relaxed. He extended his legs, stretching out the cramped muscles. He stifled his own yawn, and he finally had the will to get up and move to his bed. After grabbing his phone, he did just that.

His anxiety put up a good fight, but he beat it back by replaying Patton’s words. _It’s never too late to turn your life around. . . The only thing constant about life is change. . . I’ve seen how hard you work. . . You’ll make it happen._ Ultimately, sleep overpowered the anxiety, and he stumbled into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they encourage me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!


	7. Getting to Know All About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Patton have a heart-to-heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No content warnings for this chapter, just good wholesome bonding!

After Patton helped him with his anxiety attack, Virgil started seeking out Patton to spend time with him. His sunny optimism helped balance out the storm clouds that swarmed around Virgil. Patton always seemed happy to keep Virgil company, even if all they were doing was sitting next to each other and scrolling through their phones.

Virgil figured out that cleaning didn’t suck as much when Patton was cleaning with him. And Patton spent _a lot_ of time cleaning. Besides their general cleaning duties around the apartment, they did the dishes together almost every night. Virgil knew that his own reason was because he never contributed to the cooking. But he didn’t know why Patton took on so much of the cleaning responsibilities. So, one night, he decided to ask.

“Patton?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you clean so much more than the others?”

“What do you mean?

“If you’re not vacuuming, you’re sweeping, or wiping off the counters, or dusting. You do the dishes almost every night, even when you cook. I thought we were supposed to be sharing the cleaning?”

“We are, but the other two work so hard, and it’s so much better on everyone’s mental health to live in a clean space.”

“Are you saying you don’t work hard?”

“I don’t think my job is as hard on me. For Roman, the expectations are really high, and he’s a perfectionist, anyway.”

“I thought Princey liked working for Disney.”

“Princey?” Patton asked.

“That’s his job, right? To pretend to be a Disney prince all day?”

“I don’t think that’s his entire job, but I guess so.”

“And Logan?”

Patton sighed. “Logan does so much. I know he can handle it, but I still worry that he doesn’t take enough time to take care of himself.”

“So, what? That makes it your job to take care of them?”

“We’re a pack,” Patton explained. “We’re supposed to take care of each other. And if that means my part in that is doing a little extra cleaning, then okay.”

“But they help take care of you too, right?”

“Of course! They cuddle with me and look out for me, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Patton was suddenly very focused on the dish he was scrubbing, and Virgil got the distinct impression that Patton wasn’t looking at him on purpose. “Who do you have to look out for you, Virgil?”

Virgil shrugged, even though Patton didn’t see it. “I have myself. That’s all I need.”

Patton froze. “You’re all alone? You don’t even have any friends?”

“I used to, but we kind of drifted apart.” Virgil detached himself from what he was saying because he knew it was depressing. “I have my therapist. He helps me a lot.”

“What about family?”

“My mom and I had a falling out. She didn’t take well to me coming out.”

Patton wrung his hands. “I know what that’s like,” he said in a small voice.

“Yeah, it kind of sucks,” Virgil said. “She didn’t kick me out or anything, but things were never the same after that, you know?”

Patton didn’t respond.

“Patton?”

Patton’s head jerked up. “Sorry! Got lost in my thoughts there for a sec.” He picked up a large bowl and started scrubbing. “What about your dad?”

“Not in the picture.”

“I’m so sorry, Virgil.”

“I’m not. It’s fine. If he didn’t want to stick around, then I don’t need him, you know?”

“I mean that I’m sorry about _all_ of it, that you’re alone in this world.”

Virgil leaned against the counter, turning his face away. _I have you, don’t I? We’re friends, right?_

Wait. When did he start to consider Patton his friend?

Virgil realized that Patton was just as good a friend as any he’d ever had. Just in the short time they’d known each other, Patton had stood up for him, spent time with him, included him in his group, and helped him through an anxiety attack. Who else did he know who could say that?

It was Patton’s turn to pull Virgil out of his thoughts. “Virgil?”

Virgil snapped back to reality. “Patton,” he turned his head around, looking the smaller man in the eye, “are we friends?”

Patton’s eyes lit up, and a smile grew on his face. “Of course we’re friends!”

Virgil smiled back. “Then I’m not alone, am I?”

The smile grew even bigger, and laughter bubbled from Patton’s chest. It was infectious, and Virgil found himself laughing, too. There was a warmth in Virgil's chest that was unfamiliar to him. It had been a long time since he felt close to someone, and now, the person he was feeling close to was _Patton_. he never thought he would be able to call someone like Patton a friend. Someone who was good and wholesome. Someone whose default facial expression was a smile. Someone who not only saw the good in him but sought it out, who pulled it out of him even when he didn't know where to find it. Someone who helped him feel like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. And in that moment, he felt so damn grateful to have Patton in his life. Those moments were happening more and more frequently lately. 

They worked side by side in silence until Virgil worked up the courage to voice something that had been on his mind but that he’d been too afraid to bring up, which was a testament to how much he trusted Patton already. “Patton?”

“Yeah, friend?”

Virgil chuckled a little. He was enjoying this. “Can I ask you a question that’s potentially really stupid?”

Patton sobered up. “Sure.”

Virgil took a deep breath. “What’s with the whole smelling thing? When we met, you guys talked about my scent, and I don’t think it had to do with my soap. Is that an alpha/omega thing?”

Patton nodded. “We have a stronger sense of smell than betas.”

“But what did you mean when you said I smelled like an alpha? Can you really smell genders?”

“First of all, you _do_ smell like a beta. I was just mistaken for some reason. And everyone has their own distinct smell, but there are patterns that help us to pick up people’s secondary genders.”

“How does that even work?” Virgil mused.

“Oh, Logan’s better at explaining this than me,” Patton bemoaned. “Here’s the best way I can describe it. Alphas and omegas give off a chemical called pheromones that betas don’t. Pheromones can tell us a lot about a person. What their secondary gender is, what kind of mood they’re in, if they’re in danger. It’s not an exact science, mind you. I can’t pick up on exact moods, but generally I can tell if my pack mates and the people around me are doing okay. Alpha pheromones smell different from omega pheromones, that’s how we can tell. And since betas don’t give off pheromones at all, they kind of have a lack of smell that I don’t know how to describe. Your scent is kind of strong for a beta, but it’s definitely beta. I think that’s why I mistook you for an alpha. Let’s see, what else?” He paused while he collected his thoughts. “Oh! They can change our behavior, too. Picking up on another person’s pheromones can make you feel a specific way so you do certain things. Like when I’m feeling scared, Roman picks up on that, and it makes him more aggressive so he can protect me. And one alpha being aggressive can make another alpha aggressive back.”

“That makes sense,” Virgil said, processing what Patton was saying. “I have another stupid question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do I smell. . . good?”

Patton laughed, turning the water off. Virgil was drying the last of the dishes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh at you. It’s just that our sense of smell isn’t about whether things smell good or bad. Everyone has preferences, of course, but we smell for information, like a sixth sense.”

Virgil held back his own laughter. “No, Patton, that’s still one of the five sense.”

Patton laughed at himself. “True!” Virgil joined in. He hadn’t laughed like this in a long time. It felt good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post more frequently!


	8. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack goes on a walk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No content warnings for this chapter.

Patton called a pack meeting and asked if they could go on a walk while they talked. Logan deduced that the subject couldn’t be too serious if he was willing to have this discussion in public, and it was likely about Virgil because he didn’t want to speak in the apartment where Virgil could potentially overhear them. Patton had done this before, when he had informed himself and Roman about some amendments to the house rules which Virgil had confided to Patton and Patton alone. Logan was often occupied, but he wasn’t oblivious. He could see the way Patton had been bonding with their fourth roommate.

Logan wasn’t sure how he felt about this. He had apprehensions about trusting Virgil, but not as extreme as Roman’s. While Roman was suspicious of just about everything Virgil did, Logan’s position was more neutral. He was inclined toward protecting Patton from any potential threat that Virgil might pose, but he also trusted Patton’s judgment. In short, Virgil was still an unknown variable, and Logan hadn’t made up his mind about him one way or the other.

Patton walked between Logan and Roman, each of them holding one of Patton’s hands. Patton enjoyed platonic affection, something Logan had never understood. But he respected Patton, and Patton was the only one he trusted to show affection to (he would rarely show affection even to Roman). So here he was, holding hands in public, something he refused to do under any other circumstances. Oh, the things he did for his pack.

Patton’s skirt—a garment he enjoyed wearing on occasion—shifted around his legs as he walked. “So,” Patton said, starting the conversation. “What do you two think of Virgil?”

Roman immediately responded, “I don’t trust him.”

“We know you don’t,” Logan said. “You don’t exactly make an effort to hide your disdain for him. Do you have a reason for your suspicion?”

“Are you genuinely asking?” Roman said. “I’m serious, I can’t tell whether that was a rhetorical question.”

Logan sighed. He was aware of his own lack of emotional expression, which often led to confusion in conversation. “It was a genuine question.”

“He’s a beta, what more of a reason do you need?” Roman said. “You heard the way he talked about our pack, like we’re animals no greater than our base desires.”

“He’s still learning, Roman,” Patton cut in. “Cut him some slack.”

“Are you. . . actually defending him? A beta?” Roman said, aghast.

“I am. We’re friends.”

“ _Friends?_ ” Roman hissed.

“Since when?” Logan asked.

“Since a couple of nights ago.” Patton sighed. “Guys, he’s all alone. He doesn’t have any family, any friends, anyone to look out for him or go to when he needs support.”

“So, you took pity on him and told him that you’d be his friend?” Roman said.

“Not pity,” Patton insisted. “I actually like him. And I think you would too, if you got to know him.”

“Patton, that’s just what he wants you to think,” Roman said. “He weaved this little sob story so you would feel bad for him and let your guard down. Then, wham!” He let go of Patton’s hand and clapped, quickly taking it back. “He’ll get you when you least expect it.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Do you really think his intentions are so nefarious?”

“You don’t?”

“I haven’t made up my mind,” Logan admitted.

“What are some of your thoughts, Logan?” Patton asked.

“Other than the night we established our house rules, he hasn’t shown any malintent toward us, and even that was more ignorance than anything else. While I am inclined to protect this pack from said ignorance, he has demonstrated a willingness to learn from his mistakes and grow into a more accepting person. I am inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves to be a more substantial threat.”

“More substantial? How so?” Patton said.

No sooner had Patton said that than they passed a pair of betas, two men Roman would have described as ‘frat boys,’ no doubt. Logan intended to ignore them. Unfortunately, they didn’t give him that option.

“Omega freak!” One of them called, presumably to Patton. The other cheered and gave him a fist bump.

Patton immediately ducked behind Logan and Roman, who stepped together in front of him, shielding him from the two imbeciles. They should have known better than to insult an omega who was flanked by two alphas.

“What did you say, you overgrown filth,” Roman challenged.

They stepped up. “I said, your buddy’s a freak.”

For once Logan had no words.

Logan identified as aromatic and asexual. That meant he would never experience a romantic relationship; he would never have an omega of his own. He had come to terms with this a long time ago. Sometimes it was hard, but he preferred it this way. At least he had his pack. At least he wasn’t alone. No, he would never have his own omega to protect. Patton, as the omega of his pack, was the closest he would ever come. And he would be damned if he wasn’t going to protect Patton with everything he had.

Logan had no words. But for once, he didn’t need them.

A low rumble built up in his chest and began to rise. The vibration parked itself in his throat, and he bared his teeth, his sharp canines that were built to pierce delicate skin. Logan growled, a sound no mere beta could produce.

The men’s eyes went wide, their smirks dropping. Roman’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “I would run if I were you. He ate two idiots like you for breakfast.”

Clearly, they didn’t know if Roman was being serious, and they didn’t have any intention of finding out. They ran. Good.

When they were gone, Patton pushed his way between Logan and Roman and grabbed their hands. “Are you alright, Patton?” Roman asked.

Patton nodded. “I’m fine.” But the strength with which he gripped their hands, the shaking he was trying to control, betrayed his lie. Not to mention the fact that Logan could smell the distress emanating from Patton in waves.

Logan, in a rare moment of empathic insight, said, “Why don’t we head back? Roman and I can start on dinner.” The other two agreed.

They walked in silence, until Roman muttered, “This is why I don’t trust betas. And Virgil is no different.”

Logan couldn’t find it within himself to disagree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they encourage me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!


	9. S***, Meet Fan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman does not get along with Virgil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: swearing, arguing, yelling
> 
> I have a world-building note that’s important for understanding the fic and Roman as a character. A couple of people read the last chapter and interpreted Roman’s behavior differently than I did (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing!). But in this version of omegaverse, alphas and omegas are marginalized while betas are the dominant/privileged group. This dynamic informs Roman’s perspective on betas. I should have made this clear earlier in the fic, in the narrative itself, but I wanted to take this opportunity to clear it up. Enjoy the chapter!

Virgil wasn’t trying to cause trouble. Really, he wasn’t. Okay, _maybe_ he should have checked the label before opening the package to make sure it was his, but how was he supposed to know Roman had also ordered a package? Besides, he gave it to Roman as soon as he realized his mistake, and he apologized for opening it. Sure, opening someone else’s mail was a federal crime, but Princey wouldn’t hold it against him, would he?

Would he?

To call Roman irritable would have been an understatement. He went from cautious around Virgil to disparaging seemingly overnight. Any small inconvenience that he encountered was somehow Virgil’s fault. “Virgil! Put your dishes away!” They weren’t even Virgil’s dishes. “Virgil! Don’t leave your towel on the floor!” It wasn’t even Virgil’s towel. “Virgil! Stop leaving your shoes in the middle of the hallway for me to trip over!” They weren’t even—okay, those were Virgil’s shoes. But the rest of the stuff wasn’t his fault. And he was getting tired of being blamed for all of Princey’s problems around the apartment. At first, his approach was to keep his head down and not cause conflict, hoping that Princey would work through whatever his issue was and get off of Virgil’s back. But the longer it went on, the more defensive Virgil became. It was only a matter of time before the situation blew up.

Of course, the catalyst was Patton.

Virgil was scrolling through his phone in his room, minding his own business. He heard Patton’s voice muffled through the walls saying, “Roman, have you seen my pen?” He didn’t think anything of it, until several minutes later when a startling, “VIRGIL!” echoed through the apartment. Virgil groaned. What now? He pocketed his device and left the safety of his room to brave this confrontation.

He entered the living room to find Roman waiting for him with his arms crossed, chest puffed out, imposing. Patton was rambling. “Roman, it’s not a big deal, it’s just a pen. I can easily get another one. It’s not even that good of a pen, I just like the color. Really, it’s not worth it, just let it go, please?”

But Roman wasn’t listening to him, instead favoring to glower at Virgil. “Where is Patton’s pen?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Patton lost his pen, and I know you stole it. You’ve been caught, so just confess and give it back.”

Virgil gave him an _are you serious?_ look. “Is that what all this is about? Oh my goodness, calm down. I didn’t take anything from Patton.”

“A likely story!” Roman said.

“Yeah, it is likely, because it’s true!”

“Ha! You think I’ll believe such lies? How dare you insult my intelligence!”

“Oh, I’ll insult your intelligence. You’re getting all worked up over a _pen_.”

“That pen is special to Patton! It’s his favorite color. And the disrespect you display over the pen is akin to disrespecting the man himself!”

Virgil blinked. “Disrespect?”

“First, you stole it, then you _lied_ about it, and now you’re belittling it. Where will your fiendishness end? Have you no respect for Patton at all?”

Virgil crossed his arms. “Okay, now I’ll really insult your intelligence. You’re conflating a lost pen— _which I didn’t even steal_ —with my respect for my friend. The two have nothing to do with each other!”

Roman scoffed. “Nothing to do with each other? You may speak of respect, but your actions betray your true nature! I know you have no respect for us! You think you can just do whatever you want just cause you’re a beta and take whatever suits your fancy, even if it isn’t yours!”

“Oh my god, is this about the package thing again? I said I was sorry. I’m kind of an oblivious idiot sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I’m out to get you.”

“Roman, calm down,” Patton demanded. He wasn’t asking anymore, and Virgil kind of admired his resolve.

Unfortunately for them both, Roman wasn’t listening. “I’m sick and tired of living with someone who has no regard for the people around him!”

Virgil stood up to his full height (which didn’t hold a candle to Roman, but he didn’t care) and planted himself directly in front of Roman. He was done playing nice. “And I’m sick and tired of living with an arrogant asshole who blames everything one me!”

Roman didn’t respond with words. Instead, a rumble ripped its way through his chest, working its way up his throat until he was growling at Virgil, baring his teeth for the full impression of a predator. The rational part of Virgil’s brain shrunk away from the display, but Virgil wasn’t listening. He squared his shoulders, ready to dish it right back.

Before he had the chance, a door opened behind Virgil, and Logan poked his head of out his room. “Hey! What’s all the yelling about?” His pupils dilated, and he stuffed his nose in his shirt. “Jesus! Roman, calm down! You’re giving off enough pheromones to set off every alpha on the block.”

“I know,” Patton said. “I’d say it was a feedback loop if Virgil wasn’t a beta.”

“What happened to cause tensions to escalate like this?”

Patton sighed. “I lost that pen I like—you know, the one with the light blue ink? Roman thinks Virgil stole it, but Virgil says he didn’t.”

Logan nodded, causing his shirt to bob in a strange way. “And you’re giving off distress pheromones, so Roman thinks he’s protecting you. That makes sense.”

While this exchange occurred, Virgil and Roman continued staring each other down, neither willing to back down.

“Wait,” Logan said. He popped back into his room, quickly reemerging. “Do you mean this pen?”

Patton’s eyes lit up. Finally, Roman broke eye contact with Virgil, and Virgil turned around.

“That’s it! Where’d you find it?”

“I borrowed it several days ago. I intended to give it back. It must have slipped my mind.” Patton made his way over to Logan and retrieved the pen. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my room until the pheromones dissipate. The last thing we need is for Roman and me to start a confrontation.”

“Agreed,” Patton said. He offered a hug to Logan, who acquiesced. Then, Logan shut his door on all of them.

Roman, finally realizing that his anger was fueled not by reason but by pheromones, pulled his own shirt over his nose. He eyed Virgil in a strange way, like he was almost regretful, but it was hard to tell with half his face covered.

Virgil could feel tears prickling the corners of his eyes. He glanced at Roman and then at Patton, who looked concerned, before he bolted for his room.

When he was safe behind his door, he rubbed his eyes. Stupid alpha, for accusing him of stealing from his only friend in the world and then threatening him when he was just trying to defend himself. Stupid pheromones for making the situation worse. Stupid alpha/omega dynamics for making Roman think he was justified in treating Virgil this way. He couldn’t live like this anymore, always tiptoeing around Roman to make sure he didn’t piss off the alpha. God forbid Roman take responsibility for his own emotions.

There was a knock on his door, startling him. He opened it cautiously. He knew he couldn’t ignore the summons, but the last thing he wanted to do right now was deal with more pack drama.

On the other side was Patton with his arms crossed, looking up at a hunched-over Roman, hands in his pockets. It was strikingly different from his usual poise.

Patton spoke first. “Virgil, Roman has something he’d like to say to you.”

_Oh, does he?_ Who said that Virgil wanted to hear it?

Roman mumbled something unintelligible. Patton nudged him with his shoulder, and Roman spoke up. “I’m sorry, Virgil.” It sounded almost sincere. It was pretty clear that the only reason Roman was apologizing was because Patton was making him.

Virgil wasn’t ready to say that it was okay, because it wasn’t, but he appreciated the gesture. “Thanks.”

Patton spread his arms. “There. Now, doesn’t everyone feel better?”

Virgil nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Roman rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad.”

Patton socked him in the arm. “Stop being sarcastic when we’re trying to have a heartfelt moment.” He smacked Roman on the abs with the back of his hand. “And stand up straight. Hunching is terrible for your posture.”

“Try telling that to Virgil,” Roman said under his breath, complying anyway.

“Okay, but you do sound like a dad, though,” Virgil said.

Roman’s eyes widened. “He does, right?”

Patton smiled. “Then you kiddos better start listening to me. No more fighting in the living room.”

“Right. Next time,” Virgil smiled, punching his hand. “we’ll take it outside.”

Roman mirrored his actions. “You’re on Brad Pitiful.”

“No,” Patton cried, “that’s not what I meant!”

But the other two were already laughing, so Patton joined in.

***

Virgil wished that that could have been the end of it, but of course it wasn’t.

They continued to have spats, Roman and Virgil. Sometimes, Virgil would back down, and they would amount to nothing. Sometimes, he would defend himself, and they would escalate. If you asked Virgil, he never started them, but that wasn’t quite true. It didn’t take much to provoke Princey, and Virgil liked to toe the line between teasing and provoking.

It came to a head one night when they started arguing with Logan in the room. With Roman producing anger pheromones and Logan getting annoyed, it was only a matter of time before he cut in.

Logan got up off the couch. “I cannot _believe_ you’re making me get involved in one of your stupid little fights!”

“ _Stupid?_ ” Roman said indignantly.

“No one asked you to!” Virgil spat.

“I’m just over here, minding my own business, and here you are, throwing pheromones all over the place, so now I have no choice but to get involved.”

“ _Stupid?_ ”

“This isn’t even about you, Logan!” Virgil said.

“I know! And yet I’m stuck in a feedback loop with Roman.”

“ _STUPID!_ ”

“Well I’m not doing anything,” Virgil argued, “so if you’re _so inconvenienced_ by it, why don’t you tell Princey to get his temper under control?”

“Because it doesn’t work like that!” Logan yelled.

“ _ENOUGH!_ ” Patton, who had been watching the whole dispute—and all the disputes leading up to it—stood on the couch, giving him enough height to be taller than all of them. They all turned toward him at his outburst. His hands were on his hips, and he looked ready to clobber anyone who dared to challenge him. Virgil was momentarily shocked, unaware that he had it in him to yell like that. “Pack meeting! Now!”

“But Virgil’s right here,” Roman insisted.

“I don’t care. This ends now.”

As if on command, both of the alphas reticently tucked their noses into their shirts. Virgil couldn’t believe how quickly their demeanors changed from ready to come to blows to acting like they were being scolded by their mom.

“Roman. I know you don’t trust Virgil as a beta, and you two get on each other’s nerves. But he hasn’t actually done anything to harm any of us. So stop acting like some broody Nice Guy who’s thinks he’s being chivalrous, because you’re not. The whole protector thing was charming at first, but now it’s getting old. Leave Virgil alone. Do I make myself clear?”

Roman nodded, not looking Patton in the eye.

“Logan. You know better than to get caught in a feedback loop with Roman. I thought we left that behind in high school.”

“We did,” Logan conceded, voice muffled by his shirt. “I was unaware of the situation until it was too late. It won’t happen again.”

“Good.” Patton crossed his arms. “Now, everybody just CALM DOWN.”

Virgil had seen glimpses of this side of Patton, but he had never witnessed Patton taking command of a room like this. It was impressive. It was terrifying. And it was obvious that Virgil had misunderstood the pack’s dynamic.

Omegas were portrayed in media as soft, helpless, naïve little angels who needed to be protected by their alpha and who submitted to anything their alpha said. Virgil had no reason to believe Patton was any different. Until now.

Patton had just demonstrated that he could successfully stop two pheromone-driven alphas and a feisty beta from tearing each other’s throats out and get them to apologize to each other. Because that was what was happening: Roman and Logan were mumbling apologies to Virgil. Patton may have acted like a ball of sunshine who wouldn’t dare challenge an alpha, but that was just what it was: an act. In reality, he had Logan and Roman wrapped around his fingers. There was no mistaking now, Patton was in charge here, and it was unsettling to watch him use this power. Virgil would have described the outburst as a kitten pretending to be a lion if he hadn’t realized just how much power he wielded over the others. No, Patton was a lion pretending to be a kitten. But now he was putting his claws away and going back to the wide-eyed, innocent omega that Virgil had thought he was. “That’s better. Thank you.”

Virgil also realized just how much Logan and Roman must trust Patton for this dynamic to work. Anyone less benevolent would abuse their willingness to submit. But Patton genuinely cared for these two, and it was obvious in just about everything he did. Like the fact that he was currently jumping off the couch and asking for a group hug. And Virgil had to admire that about Patton, that he could be stern and strict, but ultimately, he preferred to resort to kindness and affection.

One thing was for sure: he wouldn’t underestimate Patton again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of doing my usual plug for kudos and comments, I'd like to say that I'm absolutely blown away by the response to this fic! I'm consistently getting 5+ comments on each chapter, which may not sound like a lot, but on my last fic, I was lucky to get more than one. Y'all are seriously the best, and I can't wait to share the rest of the fic with you!


	10. Bring on the Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil learns something new about Patton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: mentions of sex (nothing explicit), discussion of ovulation and menstruation

Life around the apartment finally started settling. People stopped tiptoeing around each other and were generally pleasant. Even Roman started acting cordial toward Virgil, greeting him when they encountered each other in the hallway or the living room. Virgil found that he was no longer on edge in the common area, and it made it much easier to enjoy the time he spent with Patton.

Logan silently relocated his work area from his room to the living room, and Virgil started seeing him a lot more often. There were more nights that Virgil spent scrolling on his phone next to Logan typing. Virgil discovered that Logan had a calming presence about him which tempered his anxiety, so this arrangement suited Virgil just fine. Logan didn’t seem to mind. Or, if he did, he didn’t say anything. Yes, everything was settling down.

Which was what made it so jarring one night when Virgil came home to find everyone tense. No one acknowledged his entrance. Roman was rigid where he sat at the kitchen table with a mug, staring at nothing. Patton flitted around the kitchen with nervous energy, wiping down surfaces that were already clean. Even Logan was emanating stress in a way Virgil wasn’t used to, typing frantically.

Virgil hung up his jacket. “Hey, is everything okay?”

Everyone jumped, like tight bow strings being released. Geez, was everyone that lost in their own heads? What was going on?

“Everything’s fine,” Patton rushed to say. “Of course everything’s fine! Why wouldn’t everything be fine?”

Logan sighed. “Patton, you don’t have to lie to him.”

Virgil shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying to control his rising anxiety. “Lie to me? About what?”

“Nothing!” Patton said too quickly.

Logan shook his head. “It’s just omega stuff, Virgil. Nothing you need concern yourself with.”

Virgil’s eyes darted between them, where Logan was trying too hard to focus and Patton was nervously wringing a towel. Virgil turned to Logan. “Is Patton okay?”

Logan’s eyes lifted to where Patton stood in the kitchen. “He will be.” He glanced at Virgil, doing his best to give him a reassuring smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There’s nothing to worry about Virgil. I promise.”

Virgil clenched and unclenched his fists. “I have clinically diagnosed anxiety. That’s easier said than done.”

Roman slammed his mug on the table. “For the love of Zeus, just tell him.”

Patton sighed, but nodded. He moved to stand in front of Virgil, not looking him in the eye. He took a deep breath. “Virgil, I’m going into heat.”

Virgil blinked. “I have no idea what that means. Is it bad? Are you okay?”

Patton rocked back and forth, still not looking at Virgil. “Like Logan said, I’ll be fine. This has happened plenty of times before. It’s just,” he swallowed hard, “the next two weeks will be difficult for everyone, especially me.”

Virgil hugged himself. The way everyone was acting was not reassuring. “You told the other two, but you weren’t going to tell me?”

“He didn’t have to,” Roman said. “We can smell it on him.”

“Omegas give off pheromones right before their heats begin as a warning,” Logan explained. “If we seem tense, it’s because this will be Patton’s first heat where we’re all cohabitating as a pack.”

“But that’s a good thing, right? Like, you can help him, or whatever?”

Logan’s shoulders tensed even more. “It’s not quite that simple—”

“Like Logan said,” Patton interrupted, “you don’t need to worry about it, Virgil.” He tried to smile, but it wasn’t convincing at all.

There was something they weren’t telling him, that much was obvious. Something Patton specifically didn’t want him to know.

Luckily for him, he had another source of inside information. Virgil texted Emile, asking if they could move up their session. He said that he had an appointment slot available the next day, and Virgil thank whatever higher power existed that he had the day off.

***

The next day, he found himself sitting in Emile’s office, leg bouncing as he waited to ask his questions.

“I was surprised to hear from you,” Emile admitted. “Usually, you’re pretty consistent about your sessions. I’m just glad I had a cancellation. Did something come up?”

Virgil wrung his hands. “Sort of, yeah. What can you tell me about heats?”

Emile blinked, surprised. “About heats? What brought this on?”

“Patton’s heat is starting, and he wouldn’t tell me anything about it. I just want to make sure he’ll be okay. I’m—you know—anxious about it.”

“Patton’s heat? Wait, I thought Patton was an alpha?”

Virgil shook his head. “No, he’s an omega. He’s been an omega this whole time.”

“But the other two,” Picani checked his notes, “Logan and Roman, I thought they were alphas?”

Virgil didn’t understand the confusion. “No, they are.”

“Wait,” Picani shook his head like he was trying to get it on straight, “so which one is Patton bonded to?”

Virgil squinted at him. “None? One of the first things I learned about the pack is that none of them are together.”

Picani’s eyes widened. “Hold on. The pack you live with consists of an omega and _two_ alphas, and none of them are bonded?”

He sounded alarmed. It didn’t occur to Virgil that this was unusual. “Not as far as I know.”

Picani’s jaw fell. He _dropped his notebook_ and lowered his head to his hands. “Oh my god,” he whispered.

“What? Is that bad?”

Picani’s head shot back up. “Virgil, here’s what you have to understand. The pack you live with is _highly_ unstable. Most packs—heck, every pack I had heard of until today—consist of either alphas _or_ omegas, with the exception of bonded couples. Alphas tend to become aggressive and competitive around unbonded omegas.”

“Well, yeah. Roman has been treating me like a threat since day one.”

“No, they become aggressive and competitive _towards each other_. Yes, their instinct is to protect omegas from outside threats—”

“Which Roman and Logan both definitely do.”

“—but their main goal is the court the omega and beat out other alphas,” Picani insisted. “Do you get what I’m saying?”

Virgil thought about it for a second. “That Logan and Roman should be trying to rip each other’s throats out to get to Patton?”

Picani nodded. “Exactly.”

Virgil shook his head. “But they’re not. They’re protective of each other, too.” As he considered what he knew about the pack, he fidgeted with the cuff of his hoodie. “I think the reason is because they all identify as asexual. They don’t want to bond with anyone, as far as I know.”

“Virgil, do you even know what bonding is?”

“No, but I’m assuming it’s sexual.”

Picani sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not. Well, it _can be_ , but not always. Most of the time, it happens outside of sex. At least, it does in modern times. That’s not the point.” Picani took a deep breath. “Bonding is when an alpha bites an omega and claims them as their own.”

Virgil’s eyes bulged out of his head. “ _What?!_ ”

Picani nodded. “I know is sounds animalistic out of context, but nowadays it’s actually very civil. Most of the time when omegas submit to a bite, they want it to happen. It’s like a marriage vow. In fact, wedding ceremonies between an alpha and omega will often include the bite. It’s actually a fascinating legal nuance, the difference between a legally bonded couple and a legally married couple. Because a lot of the time couples are both, but couples can be bonded without being married and married without being bonded—”

“Doc, you’re rambling.”

“Right, sorry. What was I originally talking about?”

“Well, originally I asked about heats, but then we started talking about how unstable my pack is.”

Picani froze, and then leaned down to pick up the pad and start taking notes. “ _Your_ pack, Virgil?”

It took Virgil a moment to realize his mistake, and then he blushed fiercely. “The pack I live with.”

“Interesting.” He finished his scribbling and placed the notepad down. “So, the two actually go hand-in-hand. Let me explain. I told you that a heat is the omega version of a period. That’s only kind of true. For omegas, ovulation works a little differently than betas. For one thing, the frequency of ovulation depends on an omega’s proximity to alphas (that is, alphas who aren’t genetically related to them). It can range anywhere from once every three months to once every six months, whereas betas ovulate once a month. The heat itself is made up of two different phases: ovulation and, if the egg isn’t fertilized, menstruation. The length of these phases depends, again, on whether there’s an alpha present and whether the alpha and omega are engaging in intercourse. During the ovulation phase, omegas experience a strong state of arousal that can only be satisfied by an alpha. They give off pheromones to cause arousal in nearby alphas, and a state of arousal in alphas caused by omega pheromones is called a rut. You don’t have to worry about that. After the ovulation phase, if the egg isn’t fertilized, the omega enters the menstruation phase. Omega menstruation is pretty much the same as beta menstruation, so that should look familiar to you.”

Virgil thought about Roman dramatically throwing himself on the couch and complaining about the pain while eating through chocolate like he wouldn’t see the sun rise. Virgil was so grateful he wasn’t AFAB. “Yup.”

“But an omega’s heats are one of the many reasons why it’s not a good idea to have alphas and omegas who don’t want to mate with each other cohabitating. It’s difficult for alphas to resist a state of rut, which makes the ovulation stage just as uncomfortable for them as it does for the omega.”

So that’s why the pack was tense. They knew that they weren’t interested in each other that way, but there were going to be pheromones floating around the apartment that were going to test their resolve. And it also explained why Patton wouldn’t tell him anything. Virgil remembered Patton saying he was sex repulsed, and if his heats put him in a state of arousal—no wonder he didn’t want to talk about it.

“If you want, Virgil, I can give you a rough timeline for Patton’s heat so you know what to expect.”

“That would be great,” Virgil said.

Picani clapped. “So, living with two alphas, he should have a heat once every three months, which is frequent for an omega, the poor fella. Although, I suppose he knew this when he chose this living situation. . . anyway, with alphas around, the ovulation phase will probably last around five days—”

“Five days?” Virgil interrupted. “That’s so long to be aroused like that!”

“Well, if he can keep himself separate from the alphas, it should only last about three days, which he should be used to by now. And just like with betas, menstruation lasts about a week.”

But Virgil was still stuck on the ovulation phase. “He has his own room. Would that do it?”

“Sure. If he doesn’t leave it.”

Virgil thought about the logistics that Patton had probably already considered. How would he eat? How would he maintain his hygiene? And he was so social, would it really be good for him to be cooped up in his room for days on end?

Virgil thought of another question. “Is there anything I can do to help him?”

Picani smiled. “You know, Virgil, that’s one of the things I appreciate about you, is your concern for others and your willingness to help them.”

Virgil gave a half smile. “Thanks. It’s the anxiety. I don’t want other people to suffer like I do, if there’s anything I can do about it.”

Picani made more notes. “I see. But back to your question. You’d have to ask Patton. Heats are really personal things. What would help one omega isn’t what would help another. And of course, this is all a moot point if he takes heat suppressors.”

Virgil started rubbing his temples. This was getting confusing. “Heat suppressors?”

“It’s like birth control. As the name suggests, it suppresses the heat so that the omega doesn’t feel the effects of it. It also reduces the amount of pheromones the omega produces so that they can be around alphas. Not everyone has access to them, though.”

“Do you?”

Picani froze. “Excuse me?”

“Do you take them? Because I’ve never heard you talk about having a heat.”

Picani blinked. “That’s a very personal question, Virgil. Why would I talk about my heats with my patients?”

Virgil could feel his face heating up again.

“But since we’re talking about it anyway: yes, I do take heat suppressors. It would be inconvenient to have to cancel sessions for up to two weeks every couple of months.”

Virgil nodded. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Virge, I wouldn’t have answered if I was uncomfortable with it.”

Virgil nodded. “Thanks. For everything.”

“No problem! Let me know how it goes with Patton, will ya? Now, we still have some time, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post middle-of-the-week updates like this one!


	11. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil comes home from his session with Picani and checks on Patton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: food mention, swearing

Virgil struggled to unlock the door. He had decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home from therapy, and he had two armfuls of bags. After successfully maneuvering the key and jiggling the handle, he pushed the door open with his hip, revealing Roman watching his laptop intently.

Virgil shoved the door closed with his foot. “Hey, can you help me bring in the groceries?”

It was a reasonable request, but Roman muttered, “I’ll show you where you can shove your groceries.”

Virgil set the bags down with a huff. He hadn’t quite heard Princey, but he had a good idea of what he said. “What was that? Say it to my face, you coward.”

Roman shook his head and blinked rapidly. “Sorry,” he said a little louder. “It’s been tense day around here.”

Virgil started putting things away. “That doesn’t mean you get to take it out on me.”

“I know.” He set the laptop aside. “Is the car unlocked?”

It took Roman two trips to bring everything up, and then he went back to his laptop. Virgil watched him as he put away the groceries. “Whatcha doing?”

“Watching Disney movies. It relaxes me.”

Virgil considered the irritable remark Roman had made when he came in, and he thought, _apparently not enough_. “What’s been making you tense? Do you want to talk about it?”

Roman scoffed. “Not with some stupid beta.”

Virgil set his jaw. He was done being treated like this. “You know, Princey? I was just trying to be nice. It’s not my fault that I wasn’t raised around alphas and omegas. And I’ve been trying _so hard_ to learn about you guys so that I’m not just ‘some stupid beta,’ so the least you can do is give me a little credit.”

Roman closed his laptop and stood up. “You want credit for doing the bare minimum?” He started slow clapping. “Oh, look at Virgil go, so strong in the face of adversity. How difficult it must be to pull your head out of your ass and actually try to understand people who are different than you!”

Virgil was about to call Roman out for disparaging him when he actually processed Roman’s words and the meaning behind them. His tone may have been insulting, but he had a point. Virgil wasn’t the marginalized one here, and taking the time to learn about his roommates was the least he could do if he didn’t want to be an asshole.

So as much as he wanted to match Roman insult for insult, he knew that it wouldn’t actually help anything. Virgil sighed. “You’re right.” As much as he was loathe to admit it, it was true.

Roman blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, you’re right!” Virgil yelled. “I don’t get a medal for trying to be a better person, and asking for one defeats the purpose. _However_ ,” Virgil looked Roman in the eye, “I _am_ trying, and saying that I’m not is disrespecting that effort. So can you at least acknowledge that I’m doing my best to be less shitty?”

Roman still looked wary. “Give me one good reason why I should.”

“The only reason I went to therapy today was to learn more about heats so I can understand Patton better. My therapist is an omega, and he’s really good at answering my questions. Hell, I specifically asked him if we could have our appointment sooner so that I could get the information as soon as possible. Is that good enough for you?”

Roman stared at Virgil for a while, arms crossed over his chest, and Virgil stared right back. He had no idea what Roman was thinking, but there was no way he was backing down now. Although, he hoped Roman would say something soon, because he was losing the adrenaline to stand up for himself and he was starting to shake.

Finally, Roman sighed. “I can concede that you are much more educated than you used to be.” He shifted his weight, running his fingers through his hair. “Please understand that I am the protector of my pack, and one of the things I have to protect them from is the prejudice of ignorant betas.” He gestured to Virgil. “I’ve lumped you in with that group since day one, and perhaps back then you deserved it. But now, that’s no longer fair to you.” He held out his hand. “Truce?”

Virgil stared at Roman’s hand for a second, hardly able to believe that he was actually serious. But he wasn’t about to screw this up, so he took Roman’s hand and shook. “Truce.”

Roman gave him a half smile before turning around and sitting back down on the couch, retrieving his laptop. But before he could get absorbed again, Virgil asked, “Hey, so you won’t pounce at me if I go check on Patton, will you?”

Roman looked disgusted. “That’s a stereotype. We do not ‘pounce.’”

Virgil shook his head. “I was just using it as an expression, but if it bothers you, I won’t do it again.”

“Thank you. But to answer your question, yes, I will. Leave Patton alone.”

Virgil rubbed his arm. “I was just thinking, I know you guys can’t get near him because of pheromones and stuff, but I’m a beta. Pheromones don’t affect me. So. . .” He finished lamely. Yeah, there was no way Roman would allow him to see Patton.

Roman looked like he was about to say something contrarian, but his eyes widened, and he sat back. “Huh. I guess you’re right. Yeah, go for it. I’m sure he would appreciate that.” He turned back to his screen. “And while you’re at it—not that I care—but could you, perchance,” he took a deep breath and continued in a small voice, “tell me how he’s doing?”

Virgil smiled. Roman acted all tough, but deep down, he was just a guy who cared about his friend and wanted to take care of him. “Sure thing, Roman.”

As Virgil walked back to Patton’s room, he heard from the living room a low, guttural growl, and he turned back to find Roman glaring at him again. “Seriously, Princey? We just agreed to this.”

The growl cut off, and Roman ducked his head. “Sorry. Habit.”

Virgil shook his head in disbelief. Hadn’t they just declared a truce? At least he apologized.

When Virgil reached Patton’s room, he raised his hand to knock, but he hesitated, unsure of what he would find behind the door. He steeled himself for whatever Patton had in store for him and rapped his knuckles on the door.

A small, weak voice called from inside, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Virgil,” he said.

“Virgil?” There was some shuffling on the other side of the door, but it stopped, followed by Patton saying, “Go away.”

Virgil was shocked. He thought for sure that Patton would be happy to see him. “I just want to check on you, make sure you’re doing alright.”

“I’m fine. Go away.”

Virgil huffed, concerned about Patton. “Is there anything I can bring you? Food? Water?”

There was a small pause.

“You know you’re allowed to ask for things you need,” he said, parroting something that Patton himself had said to him.

Patton finally responded, but Virgil had to strain to hear it. “Can you bring me a glass of water? And a granola bar?”

Virgil was relieved that Patton was making a request. “Sure! One of the chocolate ones?”

“Yes please.”

He returned with the goods and knocked on Patton’s door again. Patton answered, opening the door a fraction. From what little Virgil could see, Patton wasn’t doing great. He was pale, his hair stuck up in every direction, and he wasn’t wearing his glasses. But he took the water and the food and said, “Thank you, Virgil.” And he promptly shut the door in Virgil’s face.

Virgil had to admit, that was about the opposite of what he’d been expecting. He walked back out to the living room.

“So?” Roman asked. “How’s he doing?”

Virgil’s eyebrows drew together. He said quietly, “He shut me out.”

Roman’s head jerked up. “Wait. Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Virgil plopped down at the dining room table. “But at least he’s eating and staying hydrated.”

“That’s all we can ask of him, right? To take care of himself?”

“I guess,” Virgil said, trying to process why Patton didn’t want him, trying not to spiral and only kind of succeeding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!
> 
> Also just a heads up, now that school has started back up, I'll be less likely to post middle-of-the-week updates. I will continue to post weekly on Fridays, don't worry about that. But online school is already kicking my butt, and I need to have grace with myself. Thank you for understanding!


	12. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil tries again to check on Patton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: food mention, self-deprecating thoughts

Virgil had to go to work. It was exhausting, as usual. He hated retail, and he hated managing other people who worked retail. He had just been doing it for so long at this point that he didn’t know what else he could do. He knew he had to suck up to the customers, but most of the time he wanted to side with the other employees. There had to be something about being in a store as a customer that lowered the human IQ, because it was physically impossible for all these people to be so dumb in their everyday lives.

When he got home, he was seriously looking forward to a hot shower and a nice meal. Unfortunately, he was in for neither. The kitchen was empty, and both bathroom doors were closed.

Virgil kicked his shoes off and hung up his jacket. By the time he started foraging in the kitchen for snacks, he heard someone come out of one of the bathrooms. Soon after, Logan appeared, planting himself at the dining room table.

“Hey,” Virgil said. He got a, “Hello,” in return. Logan reminded Virgil to put his shoes in the closet instead of leaving them out, and Virgil grumbled about it as he got it done.

“So. . . dinner?” Virgil asked.

“Tonight would be Patton’s night to cook, so instead we’re having a ‘fend for yourself’ night,” Logan explained.

Great. That meant he would be heating up ramen and maybe adding some frozen vegetables. “How’s Patton doing?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Logan answered curtly. Virgil was caught off guard by Logan’s tone. Logan must have realized this because he sighed and shook his head. “My apologies if I come off as rude. I find this experience to be stressful.”

“Being away from your pack mate for an extended period of time?” Virgil clarified.

“Precisely. It’s been months since we’ve had to be separated for this long.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It doesn’t help to know that he’s suffering, and I want to offer him my presence as comfort, but that would only make it worse—” He cut himself off. “I’m rambling. None of this is of your concern.” He turned his focus back to his laptop.

“I care, though,” Virgil said. “You’re allowed to talk about your feelings, you know.”

Logan clasped his hands and laid them in his lap. “I find it difficult, though.”

Virgil shook his head. “It’s not easy for anyone. No one I’ve met, anyway.”

“True.” He took a deep breath. “In that case, Virgil, if you don’t mind listening?”

“Not at all. Go ahead.”

“I’m scared for Patton. I know he’ll be fine. This is just a natural process his body goes through. But I know heats are difficult for him because of his sex repulsion, and Roman and I can’t be around the pheromones he produces, so he has to go through it alone, and I know that’s hard for him too, and—” he took a shaky breath. Virgil could hear the emotion in his voice in sharp contrast to his usually neutral tone. “And then I feel guilty because this is the first time I’m thinking about all this, whereas Patton has had to go through this over and over and over again. I don’t know how he does it.” Logan slumped forward, shaking his head. “I don’t know how he does it. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to go through this, and I’m not even the one in heat.”

Virgil blinked, face carefully neutral. “Wow. That’s a lot.”

Logan took a deep breath and straightened his posture, schooling his expression. “I just wish he didn’t have to be alone.”

“He doesn’t,” Virgil said. “I can help him.”

“No, you—” Logan looked up at Virgil, eyes widening. “Yes, you can. The pheromones have no effect on you.”

Virgil smiled. “Exactly. So if there’s nothing else you wanted to talk about, I’m going to go and check on him.”

Logan nodded, allowing Virgil to get halfway through the living room before he yelled, “Wait!”

“What?”

“You may not be able to smell him, but he can still smell you.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Virgil tried not to take offense.

“You’re still wearing the clothes you went to work in. You smell like,” Logan grimaced, “ _public_. You should change clothes.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Because Patton is in a very sensitive state. It would be better for you to wear clothes that have been sitting in your room because the scent will be more familiar to him, and therefore more comforting.”

Virgil shrugged. “I guess.”

He made his way back to his room. When he got there, he stripped, dumping his work clothes on the floor. It was cathartic, a sense of rejecting his current profession. He picked out nice, comfy clothes that would be pleasant to spend the evening in. On his way out of his room, he kicked his work clothes just for a sense of satisfaction. Someday, he wouldn’t work retail anymore. He just didn’t know when that day would come.

He decided to test his scent on Logan before he checked in with Patton. “So?” He did a little twirl in the living room. “How do I smell now?”

Logan breathed deeply. “You smell like yourself.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“I assume Patton wouldn’t want to be close to you if he didn’t like your scent.”

Virgil figured that was as good an answer as any he would get. _I’ll never get used to the smelling thing,_ Virgil thought. “Well, wish me luck.” He turned toward the hallway.

“Luck?” Logan asked. Virgil turned back around. “Why would you need luck?”

“Princey didn’t tell you? Patton wouldn’t let me in when I knocked on his door yesterday.”

Logan’s eyebrows pulled together. “That’s highly unlike him. Perhaps some concern is warranted.”

“Yeah, well,” Virgil said, “maybe it will be different today.”

“I hope so. For both of your sakes.”

Virgil traversed the hallway, not stopping until he reached Patton’s room. He hesitated again, this time because he was worried about being rejected again. With his anxiety, it wasn’t easy for him when people turned him away. It was something he and Emile had worked on, and he was a lot better than he used to be. He was able to rationalize that just because someone said no didn’t mean that they hated him and never wanted to see him again. But sometimes it could be a tricky thing for him to believe.

He knocked on the door.

“Yeah?” Came a weak voice from behind him to his right.

Patton’s door was the last one on the left (all the bedroom doors were on the left down the long hallway). Directly at the end of the hall was the door to one of the two bathrooms. There was a door that connected Patton’s room to this bathroom, so Patton could come and go from the bathroom without having to enter the hallway. Virgil hadn’t been part of the decision to assign people to rooms, but he assumed that this exact situation was why Patton got the room at the end of the hall.

Currently, Patton was occupying the bathroom.

“It’s me again,” Virgil said.

“Virgil?” Patton asked, followed by, “I’ll be out soon, I promise.”

“I’m just checking in,” Virgil said. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Leave me alone,” Patton insisted.

Virgil didn’t understand. Why was Patton trying to push him away?

He heard Patton groan from the other side of the door, and he asked, “Patton? You okay?”

As Virgil pondered just how stupid of a question that truly was, Patton said, “Just nauseous. It happens every time, don’t worry about it, Kiddo.” His voice sounded strained, and Virgil tried to think of a way to express his concern. But before he could, Patton continued, “Please just go away.”

“Are you sure?”

“There’s nothing you can do.”

That struck a chord with Virgil. He didn’t like feeling helpless. “Sure, I can’t make your heat stop, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing I can do. I can keep you company so you don’t have to be alone. I can get you food and water. I can—I don’t know, make you tea?” Virgil said, completing the sentiment lamely. And for some reason, he latched onto the last one. “Tea helps me when my anxiety is really bad and making me nauseous.” Virgil shook his head, even though Patton couldn’t see, willing himself to stop babbling and failing miserably. “And I know it’s not the same thing. But will you at least let me make you some tea? And if it doesn’t help, I’ll leave you alone. Just,” Virgil leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes, “please let me do something.”

_I’m being selfish_ , Virgil thought. He was only offering to make himself feel better. If he really had Patton’s best interests at heart, he would listen to him and stop battering at this boundary that Patton had clearly established. Patton was the one in heat, a concept Virgil hadn’t even understood until a few days ago, and yet Virgil was acting like he knew what was best for Patton? How did that make him any better than those overbearing, controlling alphas that he read about on the internet? Maybe he should just listen to Patton and let him deal with this on his own.

Virgil was pulled from his self-deprecating spiral by a small voice from the other side of the door. “Fine.”

Virgil opened his eyes. “Wait, really?”

“Tea sounds nice.”

The words sounded forced, but Virgil took it was a win. “Great! I’ll be right back.”

Virgil passed Logan on his way back to the kitchen, but he didn’t acknowledge him. He filled a pot and turned on the stove (they didn’t have a kettle). He stood over the pot, watching eagerly for signs of bubbles, and he considered the old saying about watched pots.

“I admire your tenacity, Virgil.”

Virgil jumped, having not expected Logan to speak. “Jesus! You scared me.”

“My apologies, I didn’t realize you were so lost in thought.”

“It’s fine, what were you saying about my tenacity?”

Logan stood and walked closer to Virgil, leaning against the fridge. “I admire it. You’ve been presented with a difficult situation, yet you're determined to persevere.”

Virgil shook his head. “I’m just being stubborn. Patton told me on no uncertain terms that he doesn’t want me, but I’m forcing myself on him anyway.”

“That’s not how I see it.”

Virgil continued to watch the water. “How do you see it?”

“The way Patton is behaving is incongruent with what you know of him as a person. He’s usually a highly social person, and yet he is insisting on being left alone, despite the fact that you present no threat to him. Instead of getting discouraged and giving up, you are remaining adamant in your beliefs and persisting in trying to help him.”

“Isn’t ‘adamant in my beliefs’ just a kind way of saying that I’m being close-minded and not listening to him?”

“Perhaps if the beliefs we’re discussing were founded in prejudice. But they come from a place of caring and respect. All you want is what is best for him.”

“But that doesn’t mean I get to decide what that is.” Virgil turned to Logan. “That’s up to Patton, not me, and I’m blatantly going against what he’s telling me he wants.”

“Normally, I would agree with that. However, I believe you are correct in assuming that being alone isn’t truly what Patton wants.” Logan motioned to himself. “Trust me, as someone who has known Patton for many, many years, he never wants to be alone. So, if he is saying he _does_ want to be alone, then there is some underlying issue that is causing him to say that. I have my suspicions as to what those might be, but that is a conversation for another time.” He nodded toward the stove, and Virgil turned to see that the water was coming to a boil. “I hope you remain resolute in your endeavors to help him. I think that’s exactly what he needs right now.” Logan walked back to the table.

Virgil smiled a little. He needed the reassurance. He finished making the tea, pouring himself a cup when he realized he had extra water. He hadn't intended to make tea for both of them, but he realized that he could use this to his advantage. He grabbed the two mugs. Before he went back to the bathroom, back to Patton, he paused behind Logan. “Thank you. I needed the pep talk.”

Logan adjusted his glasses. “All it takes sometimes is a little bit of logic.”

The corners of Virgil’s mouth twitched. He carried both mugs back to the bathroom, and he knocked carefully. He heard some thumping as Patton stood up. It sounded like an arduous task. The door opened a crack. “Thank you,” Patton said weakly, reaching for the mug.

“Actually,” Virgil said, “I made myself some, too. Do you mind if I sit in there with you while I drink it?”

Patton’s eyes narrowed like he was considering Virgil’s intentions. But he must have assumed that Virgil meant well because he opened the door to let Virgil in. Virgil entered, taking a seat on the ground and leaning against the doors of the cabinet under the sink. Patton took a mug and sat down, propping himself up against the bathtub.

It was the strangest setting Virgil had ever drunk tea with anyone, sitting on the floor of a bathroom. Patton sipped the beverage. “Careful,” Virgil warned, “it’s hot.”

His lips recoiled from the heat, but he held the mug close to his face, letting the vapor seep up into his nose.

“Do you like that?” Virgil asked. Patton didn’t respond. “It’s mint. Its calming, and it’s supposed to help your stomach, or something like that.”

Patton eyed him warily. Virgil wasn’t used to Patton treating him coldly, and he tried to remind himself of Logan’s words, reassuring himself that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Besides, at this point he had gotten farther than yesterday, and Patton wasn’t kicking him out. Yet.

There was something unsettling behind his eyes, something desperate, like hunger. But he also looked conflicted. His eyes kept darting between Virgil and the floor. Virgil wanted to understand what was going on in Patton’s head. What complexities were causing him to push Virgil away only to accept his invitation for tea and then refuse to say a word?

Virgil took a sip of tea and swallowed hard. “You know, I’ve been bonding with the rest of the pack.” Patton’s eyes flashed up with interest. “It’s true. Roman and I called a truce yesterday, and earlier Logan talked to me about his feelings.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “He never does that,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Virgil said. “I’m surprised he was willing to open up to me. I think the. . . circumstances are really doing a number on him. On both of them.”

Virgil could see the guilt on Patton’s face.

“No, it’s not your fault!” Virgil was quick to amend. “It’s just, they want to help you, and they know they can’t help you directly the way they usually would.”

The guilt was replaced with sadness.

Virgil closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know where I was going with that. I’m just making things worse.” He took a deep breath. “The point is, I don’t like seeing all of you like this. So if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I want to help.”

Patton rubbed his sock-covered feet together, seeming to find comfort in the motion. Then he adjusted, letting his knees drop and sitting crisscross. The mug moved to rest in his lap as his arms settled on his legs. He stared down at the mug. “You want to help me?”

“More than anything.” Virgil would have thought that was obvious by now.

Patton nodded, seeming to make up his mind about something. “Then you can go away.”

Virgil felt his heart sink. His eyes prickled with the beginnings of tears, and his mouth fell open uselessly. _What did I do_ , he thought. _What did I do to Patton for him to want to push me away?_

But he remembered what Logan said, that there must be something else going on under the surface if Patton was saying this, so he set his jaw and nodded. He stood, taking the mug with him. He glanced at Patton one more time. Patton was staring at his mug like it was a lifeline, gripping it like it was the last source of warmth on Earth. Virgil pressed his lips together. “Okay.” He opened the door. “You can text me if you change your mind.” He closed the door behind him.

On his way to his room, he heard something behind him that sounded like a sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	13. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil tries to help Patton again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of things.
> 
> First of all, how about that new video! Flirting with Social Anxiety was posted almost a week ago, and I still can't get over the end card. Wow!
> 
> Also, happy four-year anniversary of Sanders Sides! The first video was posted on October 19, 2016, so I'm a couple of days off, but we're close enough.
> 
> Back to the fic, I need to give a huge thank you to my beta reader, Conner or Aroacesaturn on AO3, who reviewed the chapter and gave me feedback. It's only as good as it is because of your help!
> 
> cw: food mention (it's tea, but just to cover my bases)

Virgil had made up his mind. He wasn’t giving up on Patton.

Sure, he had spent the entire day going back and forth, debating with himself whether or not it was a good idea to push a boundary that Patton had clearly established, only to have to fight his own anxiety about the idea of being rejected _again_ and whether or not his friendship with Patton would survive this heat. And ultimately, he decided to listen to his instincts, which were telling him that Logan was right and Patton didn’t really want to be alone and that he should batter at this wall Patton had put up between them until it broke. Sure, the sound he heard yesterday when he was walking away—the sobbing—could have been gagging, but he wasn’t thinking about that. He was holding on to the hope that pushing him away was hurting Patton just as much as it was hurting him and that if he showed enough perseverance, Patton would give in to what he really wanted.

One could only hope.

Virgil entered his dwelling to find shoes and coats missing from the closet, which meant that no one else was home. Good. There’d be no one to talk him out of it. The first thing he did was change clothes like Logan had recommended the day prior. He wanted to be as Patton-friendly as possible, and if that meant smelling like himself, then so be it. The next thing he did was make two mugs of tea: one as a peace offering, and the other as a distraction for himself. Finally, he made sure he had his phone charger and a portable battery pack. He was a man on a mission.

He figured that at first, Patton would reject him.

He knocked on Patton’s door. “Hey, Pat, I’m home. And I have more tea.”

There was groaning from the other side. “Go away.” Virgil noticed that this time, he sounded more uncertain.

Phase one complete.

The next step was to assure Patton that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Okay. Well I’ll be out right out here, in case you change your mind.” He sat down with his phone and his tea. These items were key to his success.

Phase two complete.

Then came the hard part. He needed to show Patton that he meant business.

He was determined to follow through and actually wait outside of Patton’s door as long as it took for Patton to change his mind. For this to work, he needed to keep himself occupied while he waited Patton out. Hence, the phone, the extra battery pack, and the tea. He had no idea how long it would take for Patton to relent, so he had to be prepared to wait for hours. He wasn’t sure how much time he was willing to sit here until he gave up and went to bed, but he could be stubborn when he needed to be.

Phase three complete.

The final part of the plan was for Patton to let Virgil in.

As it turned out, it took ten minutes before the door slowly creaked open. “Virgil?”

Phase four complete. Mission successful.

Virgil struggled into a standing position, nearly spilling his tea multiple times. “Patton?”

He was looking down at the ground. “Can you come in?”

Virgil nodded, even though Patton couldn’t see. “Of course.” He pocketed his phone, picking up the other mug. “Tea?”

Patton took the mug and turned back into his room. Virgil followed, closing the door behind him.

Carefully, so as not to spill his tea, Patton crawled onto his bed. It looked like a tornado had gone off, like its occupant had been writhing around in it all day. Come to think of it, that was probably true. The first thing Patton did was take a pillow and hug it against himself. He slowly rocked back and forth, staring at nothing. He took a sip of tea.

Virgil had no idea what to do with himself. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought he would get this far. What was he supposed to do now? “So. . . um. . . how can I help you?”

Patton gripped the mug. “Can you just sit here with me?”

Virgil nodded. “Of course.” He moved closer to Patton.

Patton’s eyes widened in alarm. “Not on the bed!” He exclaimed.

“Okay.” Virgil took a step back, holding his hands out like he was approaching an injured animal. He supposed he was. “I’ll just—sit on the floor then.”

Patton nodded. “That’s good.”

Virgil got comfortable, leaning against the wall. He didn’t know how long he would be sitting here. “So,” Virgil said, “is there anything you want to talk about?”

“We don’t have to talk,” Patton said coldly.

Virgil nodded. “Okay.” No talking, then. He got his phone out and started to scroll. Patton continued to rock.

After a little while, his back started to ache. He looked up from his phone. “Hey, is there an extra pillow I can—”

Patton threw him a pillow from behind him. It hit Virgil’s mug and sent the tea flying, spilling it on the carpet. Patton winced. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to--!”

“It’s fine. It’s just hot leaf water.” Virgil picked up the pillow and the mug. “I’ll go get a towel, and it’ll be just fine.” He left before Patton could say anything.

When he returned, he got a good look at Patton. He didn’t like what he saw. Patton was hugging the pillow tightly, and he had brought it up so it covered half his face, like he was trying to hide behind it. All of his muscles were tight. His shoulders were tensed up into his neck, and his back was hunched, too. It looked like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. The only thing large about him were his eyes, which looked terrified.

Was Patton scared of him?

Forgetting about the spill, Virgil took a step toward Patton. “Patton?” He reached out his arm, not sure what he intended to do with it. Use it to comfort Patton somehow?

But Patton flinched, scampering backward until his back was up against the wall. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. . .” His voice faded to a whisper as he continued apologizing.

Virgil froze. He had never seen Patton like this—he had never seen anyone like this—and he had no frame of reference for how to help. At the very least, approaching Patton seemed to make things worse, which meant physical comfort was off the table until Virgil could talk him down. The problem was that he had no idea how to do that.

But maybe Patton could tell him.

“What do you need?” Virgil asked. “How can I help you?”

Patton’s voice cut off mid apology. “Help me?” he asked.

Virgil nodded. “Help you.”

“Y-you want to help me?” Patton repeated in a small, incredulous voice.

“Of course.”

“You’re not mad?”

Virgil’s eyebrows drew together. “What would I be mad about?”

Patton pointed to the ground behind Virgil. “Your—” he gulped, “Your tea—”

Virgil shook his head. “No, no, that was an accident. It’s not a big deal.”

Patton took a shuddering breath. “You’re not mad?” he asked once again.

“I’m not mad, I promise.”

Patton pressed his face into the pillow, closing his eyes. He started rocking again. With each back-and-forth, his shoulders relaxed marginally. When most of the visible tension had subsided, Virgil asked, “Can I sit on the bed?”

Patton’s eyes flew open. “Why?” he demanded.

Okay, maybe not Virgil’s best idea. “I want to give you a hug,” he said honestly. “But if you don’t want to be touched, I understand,” he quickly added.

Patton closed his eyes again, nodding slowly. “I like hugs. Hugs are good.”

That didn’t sound like explicit consent to Virgil. “Is it okay for me to hug you?”

Patton nodded. “Okay.”

Virgil took a slow, careful step forward. Then another. Then another. When he made it to the bed, he crawled onto it with exaggerated care. When Patton felt the mattress dip, his eyes flew open, and he tensed again. Virgil withdrew, standing back up. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. You’re allowed to say no.”

Patton stared at him for several seconds before he squeezed the pillow he was still holding. “I want a hug.”

“Okay.” Virgil leaned on the mattress again, situating himself so that he was sitting on his knees facing Patton. “But I’m going to let you come to me. You call the shots. I’m following your lead.”

Patton’s eyes widened in an expression that was difficult to read, and he looked like he might start crying. This worried Virgil, and he expected Patton to move with slow hesitance. Instead, he threw aside the pillow he’d been hugging, crossed the mattress in a frenzy, and slammed himself into Virgil. He buried his face in Virgil’s chest and wrapped his arms around Virgil’s waist with his surprising strength. Virgil gingerly rested his arms around Patton’s trembling form, gently squeezing in return.

“I’m sorry,” Patton said again.

“Shh,” Virgil said, concerned about the excessive apologizing. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

“I shut you out,” Patton’s voice was shaking. “I tried so hard to shut you out.”

Was that what this was about? “I know, it’s okay.”

Patton shook his head against Virgil’s chest. “It’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” Virgil insisted. “You’re hurting. You’re allowed to shut out whoever you want.”

“But it’s not okay because I didn’t want to!” He whimpered.

Virgil swallowed hard at the pain in Patton’s voice.

“And then I knocked over your glass, and I was so scared that you were going to get mad.”

“It’s okay,” Virgil said again. “I’m not mad. It’s not a big deal.”

Patton sobbed. “They told me that I shouldn’t make anyone else go through this with me. They told me I’m a burden when I’m like this and I need to be strong and handle it alone.”

“Who told you?” Whatever Patton’s answer, Virgil would make them pay.

“My parents.”

The air hissed out of Virgil’s lungs and he gripped Patton tighter. What a terrible thing to hear in general, but especially by people who were supposed to love and support you.

Patton sobbed again. “I don’t want to be alone anymore!”

Virgil pulled back, struggling to loosen himself from Patton’s strong hold, and he cupped Patton’s face with both hands. He made sure Patton was looking him in the eye. This was important. “Patton, listen to me. You are not a burden. Ever. Not to me, and not to your pack. You are strong. And you don’t have to be alone anymore.” Patton hung on to his every word. “Your pack may not be able to be here, but I can. You have me. I promise.”

Patton sniffed, and he nodded, a small smile playing on his face. “Virgil,” he said, voice still shaking, “will you just hold me?”

“Of course.” Virgil removed his hands.

Patton curled himself into a ball so that his shoulder was pressed again Virgil’s chest, and he melted into Virgil’s lap. Virgil wrapped his arms around Patton’s frame (which wasn’t hard, he was so _small_ ), supporting his legs as well as his back. Remembering from earlier, Virgil gently rocked the two of them back and forth, and Patton made a small noise of contentment.

“By the way, Virgil?”

“Yeah?”

“Uncle Iroh would be offended by what you said about the tea.”

Virgil squinted. “What?”

“It’s more than just hot leaf water.”

Virgil chuckled. “Oh.” He could feel small vibrations in Patton’s chest as well. Virgil rested his cheek on Patton’s head, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel disappointed about the spilled tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Or maybe you just want to scream at me? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!
> 
> Seriously, feel free to scream at me in the comments.


	14. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wait, is Patton still in heat?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It turns out I am posting on the anniversary of Sanders Sides, so happy four-year anniversary! This series has meant so much to me over the last four years. Since watching the first episode, I have grown so much as a writer and as a person, and to some extent, I have this series to thank for that.
> 
> So let's celebrate together with a new chapter of A Humble Abode!
> 
> Once again, huge thanks to my beta reader Conner/Aroacesaturn for editing this chapter!
> 
> cw: swearing, mentions of sex (nothing explicit)

Virgil was scheduled for a short shift, which he was grateful for. It meant that he could spend most of the day with Patton. He was asked to stay the rest of the day to cover for another person, and the dumbass he was, he almost said yes. But his mental Emile reminded him that he was allowed to say no. He did, and he was proud of himself for it. Being there for Patton was important to him, and he refused to let work get in the way of it.

His first stop when he got home (after changing his clothes) was Patton’s room. He knocked on the door. “Hey, I’m back.”

“Virgil?” Patton called from within. His voice sounded groggy, like Virgil had just woken him up. Oops.

“Yep. Can I come in?”

Patton groaned. “Yeah.”

Virgil opened the door to find Patton tangled in his sheets and blankets. He was propped up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes. “You can go back to sleep.”

Patton groaned again. “I’ve been sleeping most of the day. I need to be awake for a bit so I can sleep tonight.”

Virgil nodded, crossing his arms. “That makes sense. You’re recovering, right?”

Patton froze. “Recovering from what?”

Virgil squinted with confusion. “From the ovulation part of your heat?”

Patton squinted back. “What. . .?”

“You know, the part of your heat where you—” he didn’t know how to continue.

“Just say it. I’m really out of it, so just say what you mean.”

Virgil sighed. “You should be past the part of your heat where you’re aroused, right?”

Patton shook his head. “No, that’s still happening.”

Virgil’s anxiety spiked. “That doesn’t make sense. You haven’t had any exposure to the alphas. Emile said it would only last longer than three days if you were around an alpha.”

Patton shrugged. “Sometimes it be that way.”

Virgil’s eyebrows pulled together. “Are you doing okay?”

Patton stared at him blankly for several seconds before replying, “Kinda? Like I said, I’m really out of it.” He tried to smile at Virgil, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “By the way, thank you for what you said yesterday.”

“What did I say?”

“About not being a burden and all that? You’re right, and I know that. But sometimes. . .” he trailed off, staring at nothing for a bit before continuing, “Wait, what was I saying?”

_Wow_ , Virgil thought, _he must be_ really _out of it_. “You were talking about what I said yesterday about you not being a burden.”

“Right!” The words started tumbling out of his mouth, like he was trying to get them all out before he forgot them. “Sometimes when I’m like this I get overwhelmed by everything and I feel really vulnerable and that’s really scary. And that can cause me to feel like I’m back in a time before I had my pack.” Virgil recalled Patton from the day before, connecting the dots in his head. The terrified expression, the excessive apologizing, how he just looked so darn _small_. He nodded. “But you handled it really well, and—” He closed his eyes and shook his head, like he was trying to clear it, “and it could have been a lot worse, so—” He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He sighed. “What I’m trying to say is thank you.”

Virgil winced as Patton struggled to get through his thoughts. But when he was done, all Virgil could think was, _It could have been worse?_ But aloud, he just said, “No big deal.”

Patton wrung his sheets. “It’s a big deal to _me_.”

“Oh. Well, then, you’re welcome.”

Patton smiled. “Will you,” he looked down at his bed. “will you come cuddle with me?”

Virgil smiled. “Sure. Do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?”

“Little spoon.”

Patton laid down, curling on his side. Virgil made his way over to the bed, feeling it dip as he put his weight on it. He situated himself behind Patton and laid down, resting his head on Patton’s pillow. He tucked his lower arm underneath Patton’s neck, laying it out flat. It was about as comfortable as his shoulder was going to get. He curled his upper arm around Patton’s middle, applying a comforting pressure. Patton wrapped his arms around Virgil’s, snuggling into his embrace. Virgil nuzzled Patton’s head with his nose, and he felt Patton giggle. His own smile spread its way across his face, warmth blooming in his chest.

“Virgil?”

“Hmm?”

“You make me feel safe.”

The compliment caught Virgil off guard, and he felt himself blush. Something strange stirred in his chest, like a tugging, like a drive to do—something? He clutched Patton tighter, wrapping himself around the smaller figure. Patton was special to him, and he wouldn’t let anything happen to him—

Protective. That was the word. He was feeling _protective_ of Patton. He was experiencing a bout of courage, that he could do whatever he had to to make Patton feel safe, that nothing was more important than protecting this precious little ball of sunshine.

But just as quickly as it came, it faded out, and Virgil’s muscles—which he didn’t remember tensing—relaxed. He melted around Patton’s frame, readjusting so he didn’t collapse completely.

Huh. That was strange. He couldn’t remember ever feeling that way before, like all his anxiety was gone, replaced by the resolve to stand between someone and whatever was threatening them. He remembered Roman saying that he was the protector of his pack; did he feel that way all the time? If he did, it would explain so much. He rested his forehead against the back of Patton’s head, letting his hair tickle his eyes.

Patton’s breathing started to slow down and even out, and Virgil figured he must be falling asleep again. If he was that tired, Virgil figured that he should let him sleep.

***

Two hours later, Virgil was bored out of his mind. Various parts of his body were cramping, and he had lost the ability to feel his shoulder ages ago.

Patton was definitely asleep, if his light snoring was anything to go by. Virgil had his phone in his pocket. If he could snake his arm out from around Patton, he could entertain himself with one of his apps. But it would just be a band-aid on the real problem, that long-term cuddling wasn’t very engaging for the mind. Based on the last couple of days, it seemed like what Patton needed more than anything was comfort. If only there was a way to provide that to him that didn’t involve laying here doing nothing.

If only there was a convenient way for him to pose that question to a vast database of knowledge right at his fingertips.

He pulled out his phone, and instead of opening one of his game apps or any type of social media, he opened his web browser and searched for how to comfort omegas in heat. The search returned back _many_ articles on how to sexually satisfy an omega, most of them targeted at alphas.

With wide eyes and red cheeks, he deleted the search, hoping no one ever got a hold of his search history.

He specified that he wanted _nonsexual_ ways to comfort omegas. This search was much more successful. One of the first links was to an article titled, “Ten Ways to Help an Omega in Heat Besides Sex!” Good, that was exactly what he was looking for.

He opened the article.

_Ten Ways to Help an Omega in Heat Besides Sex!_

_The next time your omega is in heat, try not jumping straight into sex. The omega in heat has many other needs, so sex is not the only way to help them feel better. Here are other ways to help omegas in heat!_

_1) Always ask consent_

_It’s debatable whether omegas in heat can really give consent for things like biting and sex. But for less serious things like feeding and nonsexual physical contact, asking consent is a great way to establish trust and inform the omega of what you want to do before you do it._

_2) Remind the omega that they can say no_

_Omegas may assume that they have do whatever their alpha wants them to do so that their alpha will have sex with them. Remind them over and over that their boundaries are important and you won’t leave them if they say no._

_3) Keep the omega fed and hydrated_

_Keep a glass or water bottle by their bed so they can take sips throughout the day. Easy to digest foods like bananas, rice, apple sauce, and toast are really good heat food. Omegas might get cravings, but make sure they get nutrition too. Whether they have a small or a large appetite, let the omega decide how much to eat._

_4) Have the omega change clothes_

_It’s shocking how much better clean clothes can make you feel! Choose loose, comfortable clothes like sweats or athletic wear._

_5) Give them a massage_

_One of the symptoms of a heat can be stomach pain. Giving the omega a belly rub (with consent) can be comforting. Any type of massage (shoulders, back, feet) can relax the omega and help them feel better. But be careful about where you touch them. Massaging the wrong part of the body can make arousal more intense and become sexual. So unless you’re doing foreplay, stay away from places like the chest, thighs, and hips._

_6) Take a bath_

_Baths with or without an alpha can be a great way to relax! It helps with cleanliness too since showering in heat can be hard, and a clean omega is a happy omega. Just because you feel gross on the inside doesn’t mean you have to feel gross on the outside! Fair warning, this can become sexual even if partners aren’t bathing together._

_7) Surround your omega with comfort objects_

_This one will very from omega to omega. Some omegas find comfort in extra pillows and blankets because they can nest. Others find it overwhelming. Likewise, objects with scents like candles, lotion, and incense can be comforting and help dilute the smell of pheromones, or it can be overwhelming. Once again, ask your omega. Consent is key!_

_8) Try yoga/meditation_

_Not only will it calm the omega down, it will give them something to focus on besides their heat. This one really only works at the start or finish of a heat._

_9) Try a healthy distraction_

_Turn on the TV. Play a video game or a board game. Do a puzzle. Read a book, if the omega can focus, or read out loud to them! Listen to music and dance it out. Heats are a great time to listen to an audio book or a podcast._

_10) Sleep_

_Anything you can do to help the omega sleep will be helpful._

_Not all of these tips will work for every omega or couple. Find what works for you and turn heats into an experience you can enjoy together!_

Virgil blushed at that last sentence. He wasn’t trying to spend quality time with Patton. He just wanted to help him in a way that didn’t make him unbelievably bored. But some of these ideas looked promising. Of course, he would have to ask Patton about his thoughts. Tip number one.

But Patton rolled over, away from Virgil, to lie on his stomach. He buried his face in his pillow and groaned as he adjusted his arms.

Virgil shifted his own arm out from under Patton and sat up, letting the feeling return to his shoulder. He circled his arm a couple of times to encourage circulation. As his arm started tingling, he looked over at Patton, fast asleep. Virgil figured Patton didn’t need him to stick around. He stood up, and he felt some of his joints pop as he stretched. Patton made a little snorting noise that Virgil couldn’t help but find endearing. He smiled, and he crept out of the room, opening and closing the door as quietly as he could.

He made his way to the kitchen for a snack. Both the alphas were sitting on the couch, Roman’s arm draped around Logan’s shoulder as they did their own things on their respective devices. Considering Logan’s aversion to touch, it was painfully intimate, even in its innocence. Virgil smiled. This pack was adorable.

Logan took in a deep breath. His eyes dilated, and he threw his elbow over his nose. “Patton!” He exclaimed. Roman wasn’t far behind, shielding his own nose. Logan looked in Virgil’s direction, and his eyebrows scrunched together.

“No, Virgil.” He gestured to himself.

“Virgil?” Logan asked. Virgil didn’t understand why he was so confused. “Why do you smell like Patton?”

Virgil shrugged. “Probably because we were cuddling in his bed.”

Roman’s eyes were suddenly the size of saucers. Logan, however, was unfazed. “Yes, that would explain it.”

“You and Patton. . .?” Roman asked suspiciously.

“What?” Virgil said, aghast. “No, it was platonic as hell!”

“Virgil,” Logan said slowly, “you have Patton’s pheromones all over you. It’s fine if you want to engage in platonic affection with him, but you need to change clothes before you approach the common area.”

“Right, or you’ll go into rut,” Virgil realized.

Logan blanched, and Roman started laughing into his shirt. “Where did you learn _that?_ ” Roman asked through his laughter.

“My therapist. But he didn’t tell me anything about it other than it’s caused by omega pheromones. Oh! And that it makes you aroused.” Virgil could feel his faced heating up, and he felt like it was probably time to shut up.

Roman kept snickering, probably as a way to deal with the awkwardness. Logan paled even more. “Just go change clothes. Please.”

Virgil rolled his eyes and went back to his room, wondering when his life had become so wrapped up in alpha/omega stuff.

***

Virgil decided to clean his room, surprised that he had actually found it within himself to get some adulting done, when he heard a panicked, “VIRGIL?” from down the hall. Virgil dropped the pile of clothes he was holding and rushed to Patton’s room. Patton cried his name again before he made it there.

“Patton!” He called from the other side of the door, knocking vigorously.

Patton threw the door open and pulled Virgil into his room, slamming the door behind him and burying his head into Virgil’s chest. “Virgil,” he sighed.

Virgil hesitantly wrapped his arms around Patton’s shoulders, having no idea what was going on.

“Please don’t do that again.”

“Do what?” How had he fucked up this time?

“Leave without telling me,” he said. “It’s okay that you left, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, but I woke up and you weren’t there and I panicked.”

Oh. _Oh_. Yeah, he could see how that would freak him out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Next time, _please_ wake me up.”

Virgil breathed a small laugh. “You got it, Pat.”

Patton tensed in his arms. “Please don’t call me that.”

“What? Pat?”

Patton nodded.

Virgil started rubbing Patton’s back. “It won’t happen again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!


	15. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why are you still titling the chapters like this? Patton's can't still be in heat, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today, but Virgil and Patton talk about some important stuff.

“It should have stopped by now.”

Virgil was on the verge of an anxiety attack, and Patton was trying to calm him down. Virgil didn’t miss how backwards that was, and he felt guilty. But he couldn’t help the way his body responded to the unknown.

“I’m fine. Really, Virgil.”

Virgil stopped pacing. “Patton. Look me in the eyes and say that again.”

Patton made eye contact with Virgil and held it for a second, only to look away.

“Exactly my point.”

“Okay, this may be unusual for me, but it’s not unusual for heats in general. It’s probably just from having alphas so close. This part of my heats was longer when I was living with Logan before.”

Virgil froze, eyebrows drawing together. “I thought this was the first time you were living with Logan.”

Patton suddenly tensed. “I stayed with him for a bit when we were in high school.” His posture made it clear that they were done talking about this.

Virgil wondered what Patton didn’t want him to know, but he decided not to push. “Okay, fine. But if this goes on much longer, I’m taking you to a doctor.”

“NO!” Patton said too quickly.

Virgil turned toward him and raised his eyebrows.

“I mean, that’s not necessary. I’m sure it’ll stop by tomorrow.”

“But what if it doesn’t?” Virgil insisted.

Patton squared his shoulders. “This isn’t your problem to worry about. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it. Okay?”

That really wasn’t reassuring, but all Virgil could do was trust Patton to take care of himself. “Sure.” Virgil resumed his pacing.

“Virgil? Will you come sit with me?”

Virgil sighed and complied, seating himself next to Patton on the bed. Patton leaned his weight into Virgil’s shoulder, and Virgil wrapped his arm around Patton. _Man_ he was tiny. Virgil rubbed his arm, and Patton melted into him.

“Oh! I just remembered.” Virgil fished out his phone. “I found an article yesterday about different ways to help an omega during a heat that isn’t sex. Do you want to check it out?”

“Who is it written for?” Patton asked. “Does it say who the target audience is?”

Virgil searched for the article. “Um, I think it’s for alphas.”

Patton groaned. “Of course it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Most articles—heck, most media—are aimed at betas. And even when it’s for us, it’s usually aimed at alphas. Omegas always get forgotten about.”

Virgil squeezed Patton’s shoulders. “That’s rough, buddy.”

Patton shrugged. “That’s just how it is.” He peaked at Virgil’s phone. “What does it say?”

Virgil read the article out loud. He could feel Patton cringing just about the whole time. He remembered how cringey the last part was—even for him as a beta—and he left it out altogether. When he finished, he looked down at Patton. “So, what did you think?”

Patton picked at his nails. “It’s pretty obvious that whoever wrote it has never actually been through a heat. Most of the advice is bad.”

“Not all of it though, right? I mean, number one is ‘establish consent.’ That’s a pretty good idea just in general.”

“Omegas in heat can’t give informed consent. Full stop.”

Virgil was a bit surprised by this generalization, but he supposed that of all people, Patton would know. “Does that mean that I shouldn’t be touching you right now?”

“It means that you should talk about boundaries with people _outside_ of heat so that everyone is on the same page with a clear mind. We didn’t have the chance to do that.” Virgil filled with dread. Had he hurt Patton without meaning to? Patton continued, “But so far, we haven’t done anything I would normally say no to, so we’re good.” He brought his hand up and laced his fingers with Virgil’s. “I won’t regret any of this.” Even as Virgil relaxed, he could feel his face heating up. Patton sounded so certain, and the way he said it did strange things to Virgil’s stomach.

“That’s fair. But two of the points are literally eat and sleep and drink water. You need to do that stuff to survive.”

“Yeah, but it looks different when you’re in heat. You can’t stick to a schedule like you normally would because your body functions sporadically. So sometimes I can’t get enough to eat, and sometimes I won’t eat all day. Yesterday is a perfect example: I spent most of the day asleep. And even though I was up all night, I’m not sleepy today, and I’ll probably sleep tonight.” He ran his thumb over Virgil’s. “Probably.”

“Going through a heat sounds exhausting,” Virgil observed.

“And I’m not even halfway done yet.”

Virgil swallowed hard.

“It’s okay. This is the hardest part for me.” He squeezed Virgil’s hand. “And tomorrow, I’ll be able to see my pack again!”

Virgil sincerely hoped that that was true. His anxiety returned as he considered the possibility that this would last longer than either of them could predict.

“Hey Virgil?”

“Hmm?”

“My head feels like it’s clearing up. Do you want to get out a board game?”

Virgil smiled. “Yes.”

***

Virgil woke up to a text at 4AM. He pressed the button on his phone to turn the screen on so he could read it. It was blinding for several seconds before his eyes adjusted. He navigated to his messaging app. It was from Patton.

_I started the next part of my heat. We’re in the clear!_

Virgil was so relieved to hear that that he fell back asleep almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great way to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	16. Getting to Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil spends some quality time with his roommates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, huge thanks to my beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing this chapter for me and encouraging me to make the changes that made this chapter what it is! I couldn't have done it without you!
> 
> cw: swearing, brief sex-related discussion (nothing explicit)

With the weight of Patton’s first heat lifted, everyone was able to relax for the first time in what felt like forever. For Virgil, it was bizarre to see Patton outside of his bedroom and wearing his glasses again. He had to readjust. But there had been a heartfelt reunion between the pack. When Patton hugged Roman, Roman had lifted him right off the ground. Logan had smiled wider than Virgil had ever seen. Patton laughed the whole time. Their group hug had been tender and touching. And Virgil was only slightly jealous that he couldn’t be a part of it.

They settled back into the routine they had established before Patton’s heat. After so much hullabaloo, it was nice to have some normalcy, some constancy. It was nice to be able to predict what he would find when he got come from work, to know what to expect from his roommates.

But that didn’t mean the normalcy was the same as before. And maybe the pack didn’t notice the shift, but Virgil did.

Roman would start conversations with him—pleasant conversations—without prompting from Patton. Just about how his day was going, or something that was on his mind, or even scenes from Disney movies. It wasn’t much, but it was in stark contrast to the way Roman had treated him before.

Logan started asking Virgil’s opinion about things. It was small, just a, “What do you think, Virgil?” tacked at the end of a rant. But Logan would watch Virgil intently until Virgil gave him an answer, and then he would seriously consider it, weighing the pros and cons of Virgil’s response. Virgil was beginning to feel like they actually respected his point of view.

Patton, after recovering from his heat, was just as bubbly as always, but he was a lot more physically affectionate with Virgil. Grabbing Virgil’s hand when they were sitting on the couch. Running his fingers through Virgil’s hair as he passed. Coming up and hugging Virgil from behind (which startled Virgil at first, but he got used to it).

And the pack started inviting Virgil to things. Movie nights, game nights, and group walks were all open to him. It got to the point where it was assumed that Virgil would join, and there was disappointment when he said no. And he marveled at this shift, wondering when they had started wanting to include him in their group activities.

***

One morning as Virgil was getting ready for work, he thought no one was home, and he decided it would be a good time to indulge in one of his hidden hobbies: singing in the shower. Once he was safely secured in the bathroom, he put on his Broadway playlist and blasted the volume. He’d gotten through “Wait for it” from _Hamilton_ , “Waving Though a Window” from _Dear Even Hanson_ , and “The Point of No Return,” from _The Phantom of the Opera_ when there was a knock on the door. He screamed. “J-just a sec!”

“I know you’re in there, Panic at the Everywhere!” Roman called from the other side of the door. “When you’re through in there, we need to talk!”

Virgil’s chest filled with dread. What had he done _now_? “Okay.” He finished quickly, not wanting to keep Roman waiting since it would only make him more pissy. He turned off the water and scrubbed a towel over his body. He threw his clothes on, grabbed his phone and turned off the music before facing whatever Princey had waiting for him in the living room.

He found Roman standing in the middle of the room, hands on his hips. Virgil hunched in an effort to shield himself from Roman’s temper. It had been a while since he’d had to face it, and he felt woefully unprepared to stand up for himself, especially since he had been caught in the middle of singing.

“ _You_ ,” Roman pointed at Virgil, “have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I do?”

“How long did you think you could keep this from me?”

“Look, I didn’t mean to—”

“I mean, I should have seen it sooner, but you did a good job of hiding it,” he rubbed his hands together, smirking, “until now.”

Virgil shrunk down even smaller, still unsure of what he’d done. “Will you just get to the point?”

Roman threw his arms out wide. “When were you going to tell me that you’re a fan of musical theatre?”

Virgil blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I mean, ‘Wait for it’ and ‘Waving Through a Window’ are pretty mainstream, but ‘The Point of No Return?’ _Phantom_ is a classic!”

Virgil straightened his posture. “That’s what this is about? I thought you were mad at me.”

“How could I be mad when we _finally_ have something in common!” He started bouncing and flapping his hands, grinning wide. “I have so many questions! How’d you discover musical theatre? What’s your favorite musical? What have you seen live? Have you performed in any musicals? What roles have you played? What roles do you want?”

“Woah, slow down.” Virgil plopped down on the couch. “I’ve never seen any musicals and I’ve never been in one. I just like to listen to the music.”

Roman made an offended noise. “Well, we’ll have to do something about that.”

“You clearly have more experience in this arena than I do. Why don’t you tell me about some of your favorites?”

Virgil listened to Roman rave about his favorite musicals until he had to go to work. That’s how it started.

Now that they finally had something to bond over, they could be heard singing musical numbers at each other and any time of the day or night, much to Logan’s dismay. He found it distracting, while Patton was just happy that the two of them were getting along, even if he didn’t understand. They started doing a thing from the musical _Come From Away_ where one of them would shout, “Welcome to the rock!” and the other would follow up by chanting, “I’m an islander, I am an islander,” over and over. It drove Logan insane, especially after Patton picked up on it (“Patton, have you ever actually listened to _Come From Away_?” “What’s that?”), but Roman and Virgil just laughed over it.

***

As for Logan, Virgil bonded with him one day when he was staring at his laptop and Virgil asked what was wrong.

“I have this paper to write, and I can’t start it because I know I’m going to fail.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the smartest person I know.”

“I appreciate the gesture, Virgil, but I don’t deserve your praise.”

“Of course you do! Have you ever failed a paper before?”

“No.”

“Have you ever failed a class before?”

“No, but—”

Then what are you worried about?”

“Those grades aren’t a reflection of my intelligence. I merely did all the work that was required of me. That doesn’t mean I’m smart, and it doesn’t mean that I won’t fail this paper.”

The meaning behind Logan’s words sounded familiar to Virgil. “That sounds like imposter’s syndrome.”

“Virgil, that’s ridiculous, I do not have imp—” Logan paused, and then sat back in his chair. “Oh.”

“Yeah, I think you do.”

Logan leaned his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. “I never considered—huh.”

Virgil took a seat across from him. “Imposter’s syndrome is something I struggle with, too. I’ve talked to my therapist about it a lot. He says that the best thing you can do is talk about it, and it actually does help. Not that I don’t still think I’m a piece of human garbage, but I used to think I was a dumpster fire, so that’s improvement, I guess. And when people compliment me, I actually let myself believe it now, so there’s that.”

“You’re not a piece of human garbage, Virgil. Your mental health legitimately makes life harder for you. But you persevere anyway. And I value your input. You’re smarter than you think you are.”

“And I’m choosing to believe you instead of thinking that I tricked you somehow.” Virgil smiled. “See how this works?”

“But that’s different. Your mental health gets in the way of you seeing yourself clearly. My image of myself is accurate.”

Virgil facepalmed. “No, it’s not, Logan.” He looked up again. “You’re working on your master’s degree! In chemical engineering! How many people are smart enough to do that?”

“It just requires the proper training.”

“At the master’s level? No, it doesn’t! I took chemistry in college, and I was miserable at it. I’m not bad at math, but I almost failed this class.” Virgil clasped his hands together. “Here’s what you have to understand, Logan. Just the fact that you have an interest in science makes you special. When you add the fact that you’re good at it on top of that—” he gestured to try to find his words. “You have a gift! And don’t you dare try to dismiss that.”

Logan blushed. He opened his mouth only to close it again and shake his head. He said, “I don’t believe that I deserve your praise. But I can acknowledge that I may be a biased party, and that there may be truth to what you are saying.”

Virgil shrugged. “That’s all I can ask for.” He stood. “Now, who can write this paper?”

Logan looked confused for a bit. “Me?”

“Yes, you. _You_ can. Who can write this paper?”

“Oh. I see what you’re doing. I can.”

“Who can write this paper?”

“I can!”

“You can do what?”

“Write this paper!”

Virgil hit the table. “Damn straight, you can!”

Logan smiled. He cracked his knuckles and started typing.

Virgil walked away with a smile on this face. Later, he got a text from Logan.

_I have already written three pages, which is farther than I thought I would get today. Thank you, Virgil._

Virgil responded, _You’re welcome_.

***

Virgil and Patton were cuddling on the couch one morning when Virgil asked, “Can we have a conversation about boundaries while you’re not in heat?”

Patton smiled. “Sure! When do you want to have it?”

Virgil shrugged. “We can talk now.”

“Oh. Okay!” Patton said. “Where do you want to start?”

Virgil’s shoulders hunched. “Where do you usually start when you have conversations like this?”

Patton rubbed his feet together. “Well, I’ve never had a conversation exactly like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve never really gone through my heats with anyone before, so I’ve never had to have a boundaries conversation specific to my heats. At least, not beyond, ‘Don’t have sex with me.’” He started drawing circles on the back of Virgil’s hand. “But that’s the biggest thing, really. Even when it feels like I want sex, I know I don’t.”

“Is that it? Just don’t physically have intercourse with you?” Virgil asked, wondering if it was really that simple.

“Actually,” Patton said, “I guess there’s more to it than that. I don’t want you to touch me anywhere that could make the arousal worse. So no touching, like, my thighs, or my butt, or even my stomach below my belly button.” He rubbed his lower abdomen as if to show Virgil the area he was talking about.

“Got it,” Virgil said, having no interest in touching Patton there anyway. “What about cuddling? When we spoon, we’re right up against each other.”

“So let’s save spooning for when I’m not in heat.”

“Sounds good.” The longer they talked, the more tension drained from Virgil. This wasn’t so bad.

“What about you?” Patton asked.

And, the tension was back. “What about me what?”

“What are your boundaries?”

Hell if Virgil knew. “You mean, physically?”

“We can start there.”

Virgil’s shoulders inched toward his neck again. “I guess, I don’t really know? I’ve never been close to someone the way I am with you.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’ve never had platonic affection or platonic cuddling with anyone before?”

Virgil shook his head.

Patton pulled away from Virgil. “Then we need to back up and go through everything slowly.” He repositioned himself so he was sitting crisscross facing Virgil.

Virgil didn’t really mind anything the two of them had done together, but he supposed if it would make Patton feel better for them to establish consent this way, then it was worth it to do it.

First, Patton asked, “Can I run my hand through your hair?”

Virgil nodded. It was one of the things that Patton did that he especially enjoyed. Patton reached out and started carding his fingers through his hair. Virgil closed his eyes, letting a small smile break across his face, letting his body relax under the touch. He was disappointed when Patton stopped.

Patton continued. “Can I rub your back?”

This was another thing that Virgil found relaxing. “Please do.”

Patton giggled, placing his hand on Virgil’s back and moving it in circles. Virgil’s smile grew. Again, he felt disappointment when Patton withdrew his hand.

“Is it alright when I come up behind you and put my arms around you?”

This was actually the perfect opportunity to talk to Patton about that. “I don’t mind when you do it, but can you tell me before you do so you don’t startle me?”

“How about I ask first? That way, you can say no if you want to.”

“Perfect.” Virgil felt better about that.

Patton’s eyes darted away from Virgil, and he wondered what Patton was about to ask. “Can I hold your hand?”

Virgil was confused about why Patton was nervous to ask his consent for this. He usually just went for it and grabbed Virgil’s hand whenever he wanted, and Virgil had never complained. “Of course.”

With more hesitance than Virgil had ever seen, Patton threaded his fingers between Virgil’s. Both of them stared at where their hands were connected. Virgil felt a pang of tenderness toward Patton, and he squeezed Patton’s hand. Patton squeezed back, and Virgil looked up to see him smiling down at their intertwined fingers. The contact combined with the innocent joy on Patton’s face did strange things to Virgil’s stomach, and Virgil wanted nothing more than for them to be closer.

“Can I hug you?” Virgil asked.

Patton gasped. “That’s what I was gonna ask next!”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Is that a yes, then?”

Patton giggled. “Yes!”

Virgil pulled one leg onto the couch so he could face Patton, resting his foot against his thigh. He stretched out his arms, and Patton eagerly threw his arms around Virgil’s neck. Virgil folded his arms around Patton and held him close, pressing his face into Patton’s shoulder as Patton did the same. Patton breathed deeply and sighed. Virgil started rubbing small circles on Patton back, and he felt Patton smile into his shoulder. After a minute, Virgil tightened his hold on Patton, and Patton reciprocated.

The contact was so innocent, but it felt like there was _more_ boiling just beneath the surface. There weren’t feelings of romance—at least, not like anything Virgil had ever experienced—but there was the potential for something beyond friendship. Because friends didn’t nervously ask to hold the other’s hands, did they? Friends didn’t hold each other for this long. Friends didn’t feel close like this. Yet _friends_ was the best word he had to describe his relationship with Patton.

 _Do I have a crush on Patton?_ It was a question he wasn’t able to answer.

As Virgil had this identity crisis, Patton pulled back, and Virgil reluctantly let go. But Patton kept his arms draped around Virgil’s shoulders, and he rested his forehead against Virgil’s. “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Virgil breathed as his heart rate jumped. He closed his eyes, drinking in the innocent intimacy, savoring this closeness with his best friend. He imagined leaning forward—it would be so easy—pressing his lips against Patton’s—

And he mentally recoiled. He didn’t want to kiss Patton, that he was sure of. He was enjoying this, leaning his forehead against Patton’s, and it was enough. He was as close to Patton as he wanted to be.

So he didn’t have a crush, then? It was so confusing.

Patton sighed and pulled away, and Virgil let him go. As Patton straightened his back, he rested his hands in his lap. Virgil wanted to hold one of them again, but he held himself back. They’d done enough for today.

Patton smiled bashfully. “That was good,” he said. “Thank you for walking through all of that with me.”

“Of course,” Virgil whispered, not trusting his voice.

Patton started speaking in a rush. “And if you ever want to say no to anything we just did, that’s fine, too. You can always take back your consent.”

Virgil nodded, still as unable to look at Patton as Patton was to look at him. “I know.”

“Good.” Patton nodded decisively.

They sat there for several silent seconds, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Patton asked, “Were there any other boundaries you wanted to talk about?”

Virgil couldn’t think of any, so he said, “I think that’s enough for now.”

“Okay. If you think of anything, just let me know, and we can talk again.”

Virgil nodded. “Will do.”

Patton picked at his nails. “Virgil, can we go back to cuddling like we were before?”

Virgil smiled. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.” He held his arm up, and Patton settled underneath it, snuggling into Virgil’s side. Virgil rested his arm around Patton’s shoulder.

All in all, Virgil was relieved to have a better understanding of Patton and for Patton to have a better understanding of him. He felt more confident about helping Patton through his next heat, and he was proud of himself for communicating his own boundaries. Emile would be proud.

***

Elsewhere, a large man sat in a large chair, going through many important papers and typing important things into a computer. He was focused on the task in front of him, so he was annoyed when there came a tapping at his door. But he was raised to be polite (if not entitled), so he only showed his annoyance a little bit. He sighed. “Come in.”

A young woman, blemish free, with perfect hair in professional attire entered the office. None of the men in the office would ever know how long it took her to get ready in the morning, but it was worth it to keep her job. She would never tell any of the women, either. She didn’t have to, for they already knew.

“This better be important,” the man grunted. “What do you need?”

She was careful not to show any emotion under her mask of makeup. She had years of practice. She carried a file underneath a pristine tablet. Her nails clicked against the screen. “I have the documents you requested, sir.”

“What documents?”

“The file about Patton Sanders and his pack.”

This piqued the man’s interest, and his tone became less harsh. “Leave it on the desk.”

“Yes, sir.” She approached the desk, set the file down, and backed away. “Is there anything else you need, sir?”

“I need you to leave my office,” he dismissed.

She nodded, heels clacking against the floor on her way out.

He waited until she was out of sight to look at the file. He flipped through the papers and smiled sinisterly, pleased to acquire information on the son he was stalking. “Good,” he said. “Very good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they motivate me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!
> 
> This week, I want to try something a little different with the comments section. Feel free to comment on anything in the chapter that stuck out to you (especially the end of the chapter--I'm really interested in your reaction to that!), but also:
> 
> If you're a fan of musical theater, comment with "Roman."
> 
> If you relate to what Logan's going through in this chapter, comment with "Logan."
> 
> If you wish you could give Thomas Sanders a hug, comment with "Patton."
> 
> And if you've ever struggled to understand your feelings for someone, comment with "Virgil."
> 
> Of course, this is challenge by choice; you can comment with as many names or as few names as you're comfortable with, and you're not obligated to comment at all! Just taking the time to read the fic is more than enough support.
> 
> (But seriously, what did y'all think of the end of the chapter? I want to know!!!)


	17. The More you Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Logan have a heart-to-heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, thank you to my beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing the chapter for me!
> 
> cw: none

Virgil stretched after finishing the dishes. His plan was to go back to his room and enjoy some time to himself, but he caught sight of Logan on their pitiful slab of a back deck, leaning on the railing. It was really only big enough to seat one person comfortably and host two people standing. Virgil decided to go check on him.

He knocked on the door to the deck. Logan jumped. Virgil waved through the window, and Logan recovered, waving him out. He moved over so that Virgil would have room to stand next to him.

Virgil looked up at the clear sky. “Nice night out.”

“Yes,” Logan agreed. “If only there wasn’t so much light pollution, and then we could actually see the stars.”

A few bright spots in the sky were visible. “Is that why you came out here?”

Logan continued looking up. “I like taking breaks out here. It helps me to clear my mind.”

“I like looking up at the stars, too, but I don’t know all the constellations and stuff.”

“If you would like to learn, I can teach them to you.”

Virgil looked over at Logan. “Really?”

“Absolutely. You can drive us to a clearing on a night like this one, and then we’ll be able to see more than what’s visible tonight. I know a spot that is excellent for star gazing.”

Virgil nodded. “I would like that.”

They stood in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own minds. Then Virgil heard a _whir_ sound coming from inside. He turned to find Patton vacuuming.

“It seems like he’s always cleaning,” Virgil mused to himself.

Logan turned to see who Virgil was talking about. He nodded. “Patton is certainly a unique human being.”

“I know.” Virgil thought about everything he had observed about the other three since he moved in, and of all the words to describe what he had seen, _unique_ was certainly at the top of the list. “I’ve never heard of alphas treating omegas the way you and Roman treat Patton.”

“To what are you referring?” Logan asked.

Virgil shrugged. “You know, you listen to him. You do things when he tells you to do them. I’ve only ever heard of it being the other way around, like omegas submitting to alphas, or whatever.”

“Yes, the dynamic of our pack is a bit unusual. But Patton is an unusual omega. He's assertive. He tells you what he wants instead of letting other people make decisions for him. And he's fiercely independent. Part of the reason Roman and I don't order him around is because we know that he doesn't need us, and he can _and will_ leave us if he so desires. But a more significant reason is because we simply don't want to. As a pack, we value each other's boundaries. We have no interest in asserting some arbitrary hierarchy. We trust each other. There's a reason Roman changed packs.”

This was the first Virgil had heard of this. “What do you mean, ‘Roman changed packs?’”

Logan’s eyebrows scrunched together. “He didn’t tell you? He’s not secretive about it.”

“Must not have come up.”

It was Logan’s turn to shrug. “Roman was raised in a pack, unlike Patton and myself.”

“So, why did he leave his pack for this one?”

“Roman and Patton and I have been close since high school. It became clear to us that Patton would never be happy in a traditional alpha-omega coupling. So we formed this pack so he would never have to be in one. Patton and Roman took my last name, and we became the Sanders pack.”

“Why _your_ last name?”

Logan paused. “Roman and Patton wanted to distance themselves from their families.”

It sounded like there was more to it than that, but Virgil didn’t push. Instead, he asked, “Does being in the pack prevent Patton from having a mate?” His stomach twisted, and he wondered why he was invested in the answer.

“Of course not. He could have a mate, if he wanted one.” Virgil let out a breath he hadn’t known he had been holding, confused by his relief at Logan’s words. “Why do you ask?”

“When you said you guys formed the pack, the way you said it implied that he would have to have one or the other, like a mate _or_ a pack.”

“He does, if the alternative is having neither. That doesn’t mean he can’t have both. It’s healthier for alphas and omegas to be a part of some sort of family unit, especially one composed of other alphas and omegas.”

“Why is that?”

“Humans in general are a social species, but this is especially the case for alphas and omegas. We need each other physically in a way betas do not. This is why our relationships often include a physical element, such as the hormones involved in imprinting or the bite to establish a bond. The absence of pheromones from other alphas or omegas leads to severe loneliness, which wreaks havoc on our mental and physical health. Forming packs, so that our pheromone receptors are always receiving input, is one way to circumvent this.”

“So, you literally _need_ to be around each other to be okay?”

Logan shrugged. “More or less.”

Virgil shuddered as he considered Logan’s words. If that had been the case for him, he wouldn’t have survived this long. He thought about how nice it would have been to have a group of people who cared about him, how much less lonely his life would have been if he’d had more than just his mom, and he couldn’t help wanting that kind of a family for himself.

They stood in silence again for several minutes, looking up at the sky and listening to the roar of the vacuum. The noise stopped, and Virgil turned to watch Patton lean down to wrap up the cord and put the vacuum away. “Patton likes taking care of you two, doesn’t he?”

Logan nodded. “In that sense, he is like a traditional omega, yes. He has such a paternal air about him,” Logan mused.

Virgil translated, "Yep, he's the dad friend."

“The what now?”

“It just means a person who takes care of the others in a group, making sure they all take their meds, drink enough water, don't make bad choices. And if you don't take care of yourself, you feel bad because you let the dad friend down. You don't want them to feel disappointed in you.”

“In that case, Patton is, indeed, the dad friend.” Logan paused. “You know he includes you in the group of people he takes care of, right?”

A _pfft_ noise left Virgil’s mouth. “Yeah, right. I’m not part of your pack.”

“But he does care about your well-being.”

“Oh.” Virgil thought about how much time Patton spent taking care of others, about his natural parental tendencies, even going as far as to call them his ‘kiddos,’ despite the fact that he wasn’t the oldest. “Do you think he’ll ever have kids?”

“Not physically,” Logan said. “But I hope he adopts. He would make an excellent father.”

“Would an adoption agency give a kid to a single father?”

“We would make the decision as a group. We're a legally recognized pack; we filled out the paperwork last year. So whether they would or would not is irrelevant.”

Virgil snickered. “I can’t imagine you or Princey as dads.”

“Roman is still very much living like he’s in his mid-twenties, which he is. And me, I don’t have a natural parental instinct. Not that my fathers didn’t try to instill one in me.”

This was the first time Logan had ever talked about his family, and Virgil was going to capitalize on it. “Your fathers? An alpha and an omega?”

“One of my fathers is a beta and the other is an omega. I’m adopted.”

“Oh,” Virgil said, lacking a better response

Virgil processed their conversation, how much Logan had opened up to him about his pack and the history of it. He thought about what Patton had said about living with Logan in the past. He could ask about it, and Logan would probably give him an answer. But to do so would be going behind Patton’s back about something he might be uncomfortable with other people knowing about, so he decided against it.

Instead, he said, “Thanks.”

“What for?”

“For talking to me. For treating me like a human being and not just some beta.”

“You’re not ‘just some beta,’ Virgil, you’re my friend.”

Virgil blinked. “We’re friends? Since when?”

Logan shrugged. “At some point between the time you moved in and now, I started considering you one of my friends. There was no single event that made the difference. It was a culmination of moments.”

Virgil leaned against the railing. “Huh. I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right. I’m the smartest person you’ve ever met, aren’t I?”

Virgil laughed. Logan smiled in return. “I think you’re joking, but it’s true.”

Logan stood up, stretching in the little space that the balcony allowed. “I’m getting cold. I’m going inside. Care to join me?”

Virgil shook his head. “I’ll stay out here a bit longer.”

“Very well.” He walked behind Virgil and opened the door. “Goodnight, Virgil.”

Virgil smiled. “Goodnight, Logan.”

***

Virgil had had a long day. The customers had been brutal, and there were two no-shows for their shifts. When he came home, all he wanted was to relax. He was on edge, and anything could make him snap.

That thing came in the form of Roman tripping over Virgil's shoes. "Ah! How many times do I have to—Virgil! Don't leave your shoes in the middle of the room! I trip over them every time!"

"How do you know they're mine!" Virgil snapped back.

"Because no one else wears this shade of gloom, you dark and stormy knight!"

"Alright! I'll move them! Jesus!"

Roman walked back to his room. "They better be put away when I come back out."

This was the straw that broke Virgil’s back. When Princey was gone, a vibration built its way up his chest and stuck in his throat. His lips parted, revealing canines that came to a point and releasing a growl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!
> 
> Also, since this is being posted on October 30, an early Happy Halloween to all y'all! In the comments, feel free to share your favorite thing about Halloween along with any comments you may have about the chapter!


	18. Getting to Hope You Like Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil talks to Picani; Patton talks to the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again to my beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for looking over the chapter!
> 
> No content warnings I believe. If there's anything I need to tag, feel free to let me know!

Picani was going on about some cartoon metaphor, but Virgil had checked out. He was staring at the wall, thinking about the pack, thinking about his friends. Because that’s what the pack had become to him, his friends. Even Roman, who still got on his nerves sometimes, was someone he cared about very much.

“Virgil?”

Virgil shook out of his reverie. “Yeah, Doc?”

“Are you even listening to me? I’m trying to help you, but I can’t do much helping if you don’t pay attention.”

“Sorry. I guess my mind is somewhere else.”

“Well, is there something else you want to talk about?”

Virgil rubbed his hands together. “Actually, I have a question. A hypothetical question.”

Picani nodded slowly. “Hypothetical. Of course.”

Virgil knew he was being transparent, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “How would one theoretically join a pack?”

Picani eyed him with concern but indulged him anyway. “Well, it would depend on the pack. Some packs have rituals for new members to join. Others just fill out the paperwork. And of course, you’d have to find a pack that’s open to welcoming new members. Or, you could make your own. But all packs have one thing in common.”

“What’s that?” Virgil asked. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer.

“They only accept alphas or omegas.”

Virgil’s shoulders slumped. He hung his head. He knew it would be too much to hope for.

“Virgil, I’m assuming you have a specific pack in mind?”

Virgil didn’t respond.

“Here’s what you have to understand,” Picani continued, “a pack is not just a group of people you like. A pack is a _family_. That means something. They choose each other for a reason. So even if, for some reason, the pack you live with was willing to accept a beta, do you really know them well enough to make that kind of commitment?”

Virgil scratched the back of his neck. He was starting to regret asking.

“But here’s the good news. Just because you’re not a member of the pack doesn’t mean you can’t be a member of their friend group. You can still enjoy spending time together and mean a lot to each other even if there’s no official label attached.”

Virgil looked up but didn’t say anything.

“And don’t feel embarrassed for wanting to be part of the pack, Virgil. There’s a natural human desire to belong. Human are social animals, and we need each other to survive. I’m glad that you’ve made these connections. I think it’s a very good thing for you.”

Virgil clicked his tongue. “Thanks, Doc.”

Picani made some notes. “Do you want to talk about why you want to be part of the pack?”

“I never said that.”

Picani gave him a look.

Virgil threw his hands in the air. “Okay, so I want to be part of the pack. Big deal. It’s not like it’s ever going to happen. I just catch myself thinking sometimes, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if I was part of the pack.’ It’s not like it matters.”

“Of course it matters, Virgil. You were feeling lonely, and then this preformed social group fell in your lap. It’s only natural for you to want to belong to it. Just remember that that can take many different forms.”

Virgil scoffed. “Yeah. Whatever. It probably hasn’t even crossed their minds. And even if it did, I’m sure they wouldn’t be thinking the same thing.”

***

“Hey, wouldn’t it be neat if Virgil was a part of our pack?”

The pack was spooning on Patton’s bed, which happened to be the largest and the farthest away from Virgil’s. Logan was the big spoon because he wasn’t keen on physical contact. Patton, as the smallest, was the little spoon. And Roman happily took the middle, where he could have contact with his whole pack. Patton's question broke the companionable silence.

“You’re joking, right?” Roman said.

“Why would I joke about something like this?”

“Well, for one thing, he’s a beta. And for another, we just met him. We’re still getting to know him.”

Patton pouted, not that the others could see. “Logan and I hadn’t known you very long when we started the pack.”

“Patton, we met when we were freshmen and we formed the pack after we all turned eighteen. We had known each other for almost four years. You and I _dated_ for crying out loud.”

“But you and Logan didn’t get along until we were seniors.”

“Maybe, but at least we knew each other.”

Patton sighed. “Logan, what do you have to say about this?”

“I don’t think it’s a good time to add someone new to the pack.”

“Ha!” Roman exclaimed.

Patton curled a little tighter on himself. “You don’t have to rub it in.”

Logan continued. “While I enjoy Virgil’s company and consider him a friend, we’re still relatively new at living together as a pack. We don’t know how Virgil would affect our dynamic, and that could prove detrimental to our overall well-being. And, of course, he’s a beta.”

“Patton, why do you want him to be part of the pack?”

Patton rubbed his feet together, something he did when he was thinking. “I guess I just really like him. We do a lot of stuff with him anyway, and he just seems to _fit_. Like he was meant to be there the whole time. I trust him, and I want him to be a part of my family.”

“Well, I’m not there yet,” Roman declared.

“Neither am I,” said Logan. “Apologies, Patton.”

Patton sighed. “I don’t want to do anything you guys are uncomfortable with. I support the two of you. Always.”

They settled back into their cuddle, getting lost in their own thoughts.

***

On game night, they were playing teams on a dice game. Roman seemed to have uncanny luck with the dice, so he was actually beating Virgil, for once. The room was tense with anticipation, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable tension. It broke every time the cubes settled, only to build again on the next turn.

They got so wrapped up in it that Patton didn’t notice when someone tried to call him. Yet when he checked his phone, there it was: a notification for a missed call.

His brow furrowed. “Huh,” he said absently.

“What’s up, Pops?” Roman asked offhandedly.

“My dad tried to call me.”

The room froze. The playful tension from the game became real tension. Virgil noticed Logan’s eyes dilate, and he wondered what kind of pheromones Roman was producing to illicit that reaction.

“Is everything okay?” Virgil checked, concerned.

But no one was paying attention to him.

Patton said, “I should call him back.”

Two voices shouted, “No!” simultaneously, followed by Logan saying, “You are not obligated to call him back,” and Roman saying, “Don’t you dare.” They both sounded scared.

“Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” Virgil was confused. Nothing Patton had said sounded alarming to him.

Both the alphas looked at Virgil, and then looked to Patton, as if deferring to him. Patton glanced at Virgil. “It’s nothing, Virgil. Let’s just say that my father and I aren’t on speaking terms, so it doesn’t make sense for him to reach out to me. That’s all.”

Patton’s explanation didn’t quite match up with the pack’s reaction, but Virgil knew better than to push Patton when he was hedging. Virgil would have bet the entirety of his nonexistent bank account that there was more going on than what Patton was telling him.

“Patton,” Logan said with a level voice, “put the phone away and let’s get back to the game.” When Patton hesitated, Logan held his hand out for the phone. Patton complied with the silent request, relinquishing his device to Logan, who put it in his pocket. “Good. Now, whose turn was it?”

They returned their attention to the dice, but the tension in the air remained. Virgil could tell that there was something about Patton’s father reaching out that deeply unsettled the pack, and he had no inkling as to why. And this wasn’t the type of question he could just pose to Emile. But he figured that he wasn’t going to get answers, at least not yet, so the best thing he could do was play the game and enjoy some quality time with his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer! And they encourage me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!


	19. Things I'm Learning About You (Days One Through Three)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil finally gets some of the answers he's been looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing this chapter for me!
> 
> cw: swearing, mentions of emotional abuse, sympathizing with an abuser

Three months flew by quicker than anyone could have guessed, and pretty soon, Virgil was getting a warning text from Patton at work. (He wasn’t supposed to check his phone on the clock, but what were they going to do? Fire him? When they were short staffed? Unlikely.)

_Hey!_

_My next heat is starting soon._

_Can you pick up peanut butter on your way home?_

Virgil worried his lip between his front teeth as he read them, reminding himself that there was nothing to be concerned about. He wondered if the peanut butter was related to the heat or if Patton just happened to remember that they were out of peanut butter. Either way, Virgil set a reminder to stop at the store before he got home.

***

The next day, Virgil was at the register when his phone vibrated in his pocket. _Not now, Patton_ , Virgil thought as he helped a customer check out. There was a short line that he needed to deal with before he could break the rules. It vibrated again. And again. Virgil forced a smile as he got increasingly more agitated.

The foot traffic died down, and Virgil asked the other cashier to work on refolding t-shirts, a task that was never finished. It did need to get done, but Virgil’s real motivation was to check is phone without an audience. He slipped it out of his pocket clandestinely and read the messages.

_Virgil_

_Cuddles_

_Now_

That was it? That was the big emergency? Virgil quickly sent a reply, hoping that would be the end of it.

_I’m at work. We can cuddle when I get home._

It was barely ten seconds before he got another text.

_Forget work. Come home and cuddle!_

Virgil responded.

_Wish I could. I have the next two days off. I’ll be all yours._

Patton’s reply was a string of emojis that could only be described as excitement. Virgil knew at this point he was pushing his luck and he needed to put his phone away. He sent a thumbs up and slid it back into his pocket, hoping it would appease Patton.

When his shift ended, true to his word—after a quick change of clothes and a glass of water for both of them—Virgil snuggled up to Patton in his bed, reveling in the chance to lay down and not have to talk to customers. Patton fell asleep in his arms.

***

The next two days were filled with many cuddles. Patton slept on and off, and when he was unconscious, Virgil slipped away from Patton’s bed and explore his room. He knew it would be invasive to open drawers, so he took to inspecting the surfaces to get a better idea of what Patton liked to surround himself with. The answer turned out to be a lot of stuffed animals. He also found bags. Many, many bags. Why did Patton need so many? But they were all filled, including one that—oh goodness, was that a bag filled with more bags? Virgil had to keep himself from laughing so as not to wake Patton.

It was attached to one of the bags that he found a sphere about the size of his fist that opened when twisted. And inside, folded up tight, was the answer to one of his current problems.

He decided to test his theory on day three by going out to the kitchen and getting a snack. Sure enough, a pair of alphas were chilling on the couch. He sauntered into the shared space, way too proud of the new garment he was sporting.

They heard rather than saw him approach, and two pairs of eyes stared at Virgil as he bustled about in the kitchen. Roman was the first to point out the elephant in the room. “Virgil? What are you wearing?”

Virgil smiled. “It’s a plastic poncho. I found it in Patton’s room.”

“It looks like a garbage bag with a hood. You could be arrested for high crimes against fashion. Why did you decide to put it on?”

“I wanted to do an experiment.”

Logan perked up. “Experiment?”

“Yup. Will wearing the poncho allow me to leave Patton’s room without having to change clothes? Let’s test it out.” Virgil removed himself from the kitchen to stand right in front of the couch. “Well? Can you guys smell Patton at all?”

They both took deep breaths, faces showing surprise. Logan said, “I’m getting nothing. Roman?”

Roman shrugged. “Just beta smell.”

Virgil pumped his fist and went back to the kitchen with a smile on his face.

“You know,” Roman said, “you could just change clothes so you don’t have to wear that ridiculous covering.”

“And Patton could just take heat suppressors, but we don’t always do things the easy way, do we?”

He was met with silence, and judging by the uncomfortable looks on their faces, he wondered if he had just put his foot in his mouth.

“What?”

“Patton used to take heat suppressors, but he can’t anymore,” Logan said.

“Why not?”

“That stuff’s expensive,” Roman pointed out.

“It’s not covered by insurance?”

“No, it is,” Logan said.

“Then why. . .?” Virgil was confused.

Logan sighed. “Patton doesn’t have health insurance.”

Virgil was alarmed. “Why not?”

“That stuff’s _expensive_ ,” Roman pointed out again.

“But isn’t he still young enough to be on his parents’ insurance?”

Once again, he was met with silence. Roman and Logan glanced at each other and then back at Virgil.

Virgil was sick of knowing that there was something they were keeping from him and being the only one to not know what it was. “Okay, what the fuck is going on that you guys aren’t telling me? Because I already know that Patton’s parents are shitty, and I already know you don’t want him talking to his dad, and I already know that he went to live with Logan when you guys were in high school. But what’s so bad that Patton doesn’t want to talk about it?”

Logan abruptly stood and marched down the hallway, adjusting his shirt so it covered his nose. Virgil heard knocking. “What’s going on?”

Roman sighed. “He’s asking Patton’s consent to tell you everything.”

Virgil felt his nerves curl in his gut. “Shouldn’t Patton be the one to tell me?”

Roman shook his head. “It will be easier coming from Logan.”

There were low voices at the end of the hall, and Virgil caught a glimpse of Logan nodding. Logan turned his head, and Virgil averted his gaze.

Logan reappeared and pulled his shirt down. He sat next to Roman. “Patton has given me permission to explain his history with his family. It ties in with our history as a pack, so I’ll explain that to you as well.”

Virgil pulled one of the kitchen chairs into the living room and positioned it across from the couch. His poncho made a crunch as he sat down.

“Let’s see, where to begin?” Logan tapped his finger on his leg while he thought. “Why don’t we start when Patton and I were growing up. We met when we were six, and we quickly became friends. Well, Patton wanted to be friends with me. I, on the other hand, was shy and didn’t know how to handle the situation. But he didn’t let that deter him. He is my first and oldest friend.”

“That’s kind of sweet, actually,” Virgil said.

“I was the first person he trusted to come out to, and I came out to him shortly thereafter. Originally, we came out to each other as bi. But that wasn’t the last time either of us would come out. You see, I was in middle school when I realized that I’m aroace. Even though Patton had been accepting the first time, I had no way of knowing how he would react to me changing my identity. But he was supportive as ever.” Logan smiled to himself. “Of course he was. But Patton didn’t realize his own identity until later. We weren’t old enough to be sexually active, and he just assumed that when the time was right, he would want to.

“That is, until he dated Roman.”

Virgil shook his head. “Wait wait wait—you two were in a relationship?”

“When we first met, yes,” Roman confirmed.

“It was Patton’s first relationship,” Logan continued, “and he learned that even when he was interested in someone, the thought of engaging in sexual behavior disgusted him.”

“I was okay with it,” Roman interjected, “but I wasn’t attracted to him. At all. That’s how I learned about _my_ asexuality.”

“Yes, it was a learning experience for both of you,” Logan said.

“We broke up over it, but we stayed friends,” said Roman.

“At that point, we were sophomores. Patton was sixteen when he knew that he never wanted to marry or have children, at least not the traditional way. But his parents had other plans. They’re a very traditional alpha/omega family, and they had—and probably still have—strict expectations for Patton. It was a mold he never fit into. And he wanted to tell them.”

In a rare display of comfort-seeking, Logan grabbed Roman’s hand. “We made a plan. Patton would wait to come out to his parents until we were all eighteen. That way, if it went poorly, we could form our own pack, and Patton would still have a family. That was really important to him. It still is. He was terrified of how his parents would react. I was less concerned. I didn’t think they had it in them to—” His leg started bouncing up and down, and the hand that wasn’t holding Roman’s squeezed into a fist.

“Here’s what happened, Virgil. They told Patton that if he wasn’t going to choose a mate, they would choose one for him. They wanted to force him into an arranged marriage. So, Patton ran away. And as retaliation, they disowned him. They didn’t just kick him out. They didn’t just cut him off. _They disowned him._ ” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “I never understood why. I still don’t understand to this day. I’m not a parent, I don’t have children, but I can’t imagine doing something like that to Roman or Patton. They’re my family.” His voice cracked. He shut his eyes and took deep breaths, and he continued when he opened them again. “The day Patton came out to his parents was the first night he stayed with us.”

“He stayed with my pack, too,” Roman clarified. “He bounced back and forth until it became clear that he needed stable housing. Then he just stayed with Logan, and my family helped with money.”

“To say that he needed stable housing is an understatement,” Logan said. He laced his fingers with Roman’s and squeezed Roman’s hand. “At school, he was the friend I had known since childhood. He seemed so happy and energetic and optimistic. Like the Patton you know. But he must have compartmentalized because homelife Patton was a completely different person. He was timid and terrifyingly obedient. If even the smallest thing went wrong, he would break down apologizing. That’s how we learned about the emotional abuse.” He stopped again, collecting himself. Roman laid his other hand over Logan’s where their hands were intertwined. When he spoke again his voice was thick. “I just don’t understand how they could treat him that way!” He covered his mouth with his hand, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. Virgil waited patiently for him to be able to speak again.

Finally, he uncovered his mouth and took a deep breath. “My dads and I had to constantly reassure him that he hadn’t done anything wrong and that he was allowed to take up space and ask for things. I think it took him years to really believe it. Sometimes, I think he’s still recovering.”

Virgil recalled some things that Patton had said, and he comprehended them with a new context.

_I stayed with Logan for a bit when we were in high school._

_Sometimes I get overwhelmed by everything and I feel really vulnerable and that’s really scary. And that can cause me to feel like I’m back in a time before I had my pack._

_They told me I’m a burden._

_My dad tried to call me. I should call him back._

He also remembered things the others had said, too.

_Roman and Patton wanted to distance themselves from their families._

_You are not obligated to call him back._

_Don’t you dare._

_Roman and I don't order Patton around because we know that he doesn't need us, and he can_ and will _leave us if he so desires._

Virgil hugged himself. “Well, that explains a lot.”

“Going off on his own to college really helped with his sense of self-worth and independence. It’s been a long journey, but I’m really proud of the person he’s become.”

Virgil processed the conversation, and he was grateful to finally understand what Patton had been through. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Patton. I wouldn’t have told you if he hadn’t allowed me to.”

“But you were the one who _told_ me. You had to relive a painful part of your history, and that’s hard to do, and I appreciate that effort. So thank you.”

Logan glanced at his lap where he was holding hands with Roman, then up at Roman’s face. He nodded, squeezed Roman’s hand once more, and let go.

Virgil half-smiled. “I’m going to go check on Patton. I’ll see you two later.” He stood, poncho flowing around him.

“Hey, do us all a favor and burn that thing!” Roman called after him.

Virgil twirled, the poncho flaring out like a dress in the process. “Never.”

Virgil knocked on Patton’s door, and Patton said, “Come in.” His voice sounded muffled. Virgil quickly found out why. Patton had completely buried himself in blankets. Virgil shuffled across the room and shed the poncho. “Can I join you under there?”

He heard a small, “Yeah.”

He knelt on the bed next to the Patton lump. “Logan told me everything.”

“What did you think?” He sounded scared.

“I think it’s f— messed up, what your parents did to you.”

The lump wriggled around, and Patton poked his head out. “You don’t think I deserved it?”

“What? How could you possibly have deserved it? You were a child. Your parents are supposed to love and support you. Yours didn’t. That’s not your fault.”

Patton freed himself from the blankets, sitting up. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it against himself. “They were just trying to train me to be a proper omega.”

“Yeah, and that’s real effed up. You’re not supposed to train your child like an animal.” Virgil laid his hand on Patton’s shoulder, and Patton leaned into the touch. “What you went through is not normal, Patton. It was awful. And you didn’t deserve it.”

Patton grabbed his hair in his fists, and the pillow fell into his lap. “I know this. I know that I know this. So why is it so hard for me to believe?”

“It’s not your fault,” Virgil repeated. He opened his arms. “Can I hold you?”

In response, Patton crawled into his lap and curled up. Virgil wrapped his arms around him and rocked back and forth.

“It’s okay. You live with your pack now. We love you just the way you are, and we’re never gonna make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

Patton lifted his head. “‘We?’”

Virgil froze. He could feel his face flushing. He was mortified. How could he be so stupid as to slip up in front of one of them? Emile was one thing, but this? How would Patton feel about the fact that he wanted to be part of the pack, that he secretly thought of himself as one of them? How could he get caught like this?

Patton reached up and wrapped his arms around Virgil’s neck. “It’s okay. You may not be part of my pack, but to me, you’re part of my family.”

Virgil hugged him tight, letting himself feel relieved, letting himself feel loved. “I consider all of you my family, even if it’s not mutual.”

“It will be. Just give them time.”

They held each other close, finding solace in the other’s arms. And when they got tired, they shifted so that they were lying down. Virgil didn’t notice that he was drifting towards unconsciousness. And he definitely didn’t mean to fall asleep in Patton’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	20. Day Four (Pt. 2) - Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton starts acting... strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my fantasticly thorough beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing this chapter. You didn't have to go down that owl rabbit hole, but you did, and that's what makes you the best!
> 
> cw: codependent behavior

Virgil didn’t recognize his surroundings when he woke up. He was completely disoriented. Where was he? What was this room he was in? The pillow smelled wrong, and there were too many blankets.

Virgil tried to remember the night before. He’d been cuddling with Patton, and then he—

He fell asleep.

He fell asleep in Patton’s bed.

He gasped, suddenly wide awake. He sat up, trying to figure out what to do with himself now. What was one supposed to do when they woke up in another’s bed?

He turned over to find Patton awake, hugging a pillow, and scrolling on his phone. “Oh good! You’re up.”

Virgil was too mortified to respond.

“I’ve been in and out of sleep all night, but I didn’t want to wake you up. You were sleeping so soundly. Probably because you’re not used to sleeping on a good mattress. But I’ve been so bored, and I’m glad you’re awake!”

“I am so sorry,” Virgil said slowly. “I didn’t mean to pass out like that.” He squinted out the window. It was light outside. “What day is it?”

Patton giggled. “It’s tomorrow! Unless you’re asking about my heat, in which case it’s day four.”

“Have you, you know,” Virgil gestured vaguely, “moved on?”

“Nope! Still horny as an owl.”

Virgil shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a phrase people use.”

Patton shrugged.

“Are you sure? You’re so—” he searched for a word, “lucid.”

“It probably means I’m coming down. Or it won’t last. One of the two.” He smiled. “We’ll find out together!”

“Or not,” Virgil said. “I have to—where’s my phone—” He fumbled around in search of the device, which he found lying on the floor. He checked the time, and it was much later than he thought it would be. “Oh my god, I’m going to be late for work!” He launched himself out of bed.

Patton frowned. “You have work today?”

“Yeah I thought I told you that. I have to go.” He turned toward the door.

“NO!” Patton called from the bed. Virgil felt himself yanked backward.

Virgil turned around. “Patton, I have to go to—” He froze. Patton looked terrified. His eyes were wide as saucers. His knuckles, where he gripped Virgil’s shirt with all his strength, were white. He looked like he might fall apart if Virgil so much as took another step towards the door. “—work.”

“Y-y-you don’t have to g-go. You can call in sick.”

“I need the money,” Virgil reasoned. “Besides, I’m the only manager on the schedule. If I don’t come in, the store doesn’t function.”

“But you can’t go!” Patton cried. He grabbed Virgil’s shirt with his other hand and pulled him back onto the bed.

Virgil let himself be pulled, collapsing onto the mattress. Patton pulled him close, hugged him tightly. Virgil wanted to pull away, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength to match Patton’s, which meant that the only option was to try to reason with him. To reason with an omega in the middle of his heat.

Yikes.

“Patton, you have to let me go. I’m not going to be gone for very long, just a couple of hours. I’ll come right back after work, and we can cuddle some more then.” He sighed. “Please, Patton.”

“Please don’t go!” he started shaking.

Well, that didn’t work. “Okay, maybe the problem is that I’m trying to leave too abruptly. I can call in and tell them I’ll be late, but only by an hour. Then I have to go in. How does that sound?”

Patton was still for several moments that felt like ages. But finally, he nodded.

“Great. I’m setting a timer. And when it goes off, you have to let me get ready for work. Deal?”

He nodded again.

Virgil made the call, Patton clinging to him the whole time. When he hung up, he laid down, and Patton curled into his chest, Virgil wrapping his arms around him. He didn’t like the way Patton was shaking. He didn’t like the way Patton clung to him desperately. He didn’t like the way Patton was whimpering on and off. He had gotten used to Patton’s comfort-seeking during his heat, but this? There was something else going on here, and it set off Virgil’s anxiety. He dreaded the timer going off.

But go off it did. He started pulling away. “Okay, Patton, it’s time.”

Patton tightened his grip.

“Patton, please. You agreed to this.”

He whimpered again.

“I gotta go, but I’ll be back. I promise I’ll come back.”

Patton spoke against his chest. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Slowly, deliberately, he let his fingers loosen. Eventually, it was enough to Virgil to get up. He wanted to linger, to reassure Patton, be he really had to go. He made a beeline for the door. But before he left, he turned around one more time. He didn’t like what he saw. Patton laid on his side hugging his knees, shoulders shaking like he was trying to hold in sobs. It broke Virgil’s heart. But he knew that if he turned back now, he wouldn’t leave at all.

He walked out the door and closed it behind him.

On his way to work, he thought about the events of the morning, realizing that later they were going to have to have a conversation about codependence. He wasn’t looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a short chapter, and so is the next one, so I decided to post them together! Enjoy--and don't forget to leave a comment!


	21. Patton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton reflects on some things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta reader for editing this chapter and giving me feedback.
> 
> cw: swearing

When he discovered the word ‘demisexual,’ it resonated with him, like he was finally able to describe a part of himself he hadn’t understood for so long. When he read the term ‘sex repulsed,’ it happened again. He remembered thinking, _there’s a word for that? And other people experience it too? I’m not alone?_ Though sometimes it felt that way. Even though he lived with—shared a family with—two other people who identified on the asexual spectrum, they didn’t understand what he went through. They couldn’t. Neither of them was sex repulsed like he was. Neither of them had to go through heats. He was sure there had to be others like him, but if there were, he had never heard of them.

Heats were awful. The hormones were inconvenient, and the menstruating was gross. But the arousal was the worst part for Patton. He had been so grateful to Logan’s fathers for helping him get on heat suppressors. And he had been devastated when he had learned of being kicked off his parents’ insurance, that he would no longer be able to take them. It was so hard to crave something that disgusted him, something he never wanted outside of heat. It took so much energy to not get lost in it entirely, to hang on to the small, rational part of himself that knew that he didn’t really want it and that it was temporary. It took so much energy to stay lucid through the pain, the hunger that no amount of food could satisfy. On top of that, he couldn’t even get comfort from his pack because too much exposure could cause them to violate everything they stood for.

And then Virgil had come along. He’d been a godsend, someone who was not just able but willing to sit with him at his lowest point and still call him his friend. Though, Patton supposed, that’s what friends were supposed to be, weren’t they? People who would stand by you, even when it was inconvenient. He made it so much easier. Not easy, but easier. Having someone to help take care of him took that burden off his shoulders, so that he could focus on being okay instead of just surviving until tomorrow.

And, of course, it wasn’t just ‘someone,’ was it? It was _Virgil_. Virgil who was his friend. Virgil who was sensitive and caring and compassionate. Virgil, who beat him at board games, who sang show tunes with Roman, who Logan trusted to open up to about his feelings. Virgil, who he considered family, even though it wasn’t official.

Why wasn’t Virgil here? He needed Virgil. He needed Virgil to comfort him, to hold him and run his fingers through his hair and tell him everything was going to be okay. Even if all Virgil would do was sit there with him, he would take it gratefully. There was a part of his mind that couldn't comprehend why Virgil wasn't physically there next to him, so deep seated was the need for him.

The lucid part of his mind snapped to attention. When had he become so pathetic that he needed someone else just to get through his heat? Shouldn't he be used to handling this alone by now? He’d been doing it for years, and a heat and a half was all it took to make him dependent on someone else? Sure, it was nice to have Virgil there, but _need_ was a bit strong wasn't it?

Unless it wasn’t.

Oh no. _Oh no_.

Patton suddenly realized why his desire for Virgil to be here was so strong. Because he _did_ need him. Literally. Without meaning to, his friendship with Virgil had escalated to a whole new level. He had let his guard down, and he had _fucking imprinted._ On Virgil, of all people. How wonderful. How terrifying.

Overcome with both joy and fear, he stuffed his face into a pillow and screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	22. Day Four (Pt. 2) - Afternoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil comes home from work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, thank you to my extraordinary beta reader/editor, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing this chapter for me!
> 
> cw: codependent behavior, arguing, emotional manipulation (one line)

Virgil managed to get off half an hour early. It was the best he could do. He drove home dreading what he would find. On the one hand, it was reasonable to expect that Patton would be fine. He had managed his heats alone before he met Virgil. On the other hand, he couldn’t get Patton’s expression of terror out of his head. He couldn’t forget the way Patton had clung to him, as if his life depended on it.

He pulled into his parking space, anxiety tearing him to shreds. He was scared to watch Patton break down again. He was scared to leave Patton alone. It was a no-win situation. _Hopefully, he’ll have pulled himself together by now, and we can just have a chill evening,_ Virgil thought as he unlocked the apartment door. He changed clothes, taking extra care to pick out something to wear. He knew he was stalling, and he hated himself for being a coward. Patton was suffering significantly more than he was. The least he could do was see him through it.

Taking deep breaths to get his anxiety under control, he walked to Patton’s room. He brought his fist up to the door. With another deep breath, he hesitantly knocked.

He heard nothing on the other side of the door.

“Patton?” he called.

Still nothing.

He had been preparing himself for Patton to throw the door open and crush him in a desperate hug. This was much worse. He took the handle and turned it as quietly as he could. The door creaked open, even as he moved it slowly. He peaked in the room. He found Patton lying motionless on the bed.

He crept into the room, closing the door behind him. When he got closer, he was able to see Patton’s chest rising and falling at even intervals, eyes closed. Seeing Patton asleep, Virgil’s anxiety immediately let up, leaving Virgil feeling empty and drained. He reached a hand out to shake Patton awake, but he stopped. Now would be a great chance for a break.

The mattress dipped under his weight as he sat on the bed. He watched Patton the whole time, making sure the movement didn’t jostle him awake. Patton continued sleeping soundly. He pulled out his phone, opened a social media app, and started to scroll.

After about fifteen minutes of quiet time, Patton groaned. He started readjusting, and Virgil wondered if he was waking up. But he settled back down, hand outstretched in the empty space next to him. Virgil couldn’t help but think that he looked so small and young, and he felt tenderness towards Patton. Without thinking about it, he reached out and laid his hand on Patton’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. The chaste contact gave him a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest, and he smiled.

Patton stirred, transitioning slowly into wakefulness. Virgil withdrew, regretting waking him. Patton squinted against the light, and he took in a deep breath through his nose. “Alpha?” he asked, still half asleep.

Virgil squinted back, suspicious. “No?” He pointed to himself. “Beta. No alphas here.”

“Mm,” he mumbled. He closed his eyes. “Will you come lay down with me?”

Virgil complied, laying down next to Patton on his back. Patton shifted so that his head was lying on Virgil’s shoulder, arm resting across him. Virgil brought his arm around Patton’s back, pulling him close.

Patton sighed. “My alpha.”

A pit settled in Virgil’s stomach. “I’m not your alpha,” he said.

But Patton was already falling back asleep, and soon, he was lightly snoring.

_What was that about?_ Virgil wondered as he tried to force his body to relax. Patton knew he wasn’t an alpha. But, he supposed that the half-awake mind did strange things, so he let it go.

They stayed like that for a little while, until Virgil had to use the bathroom. He rubbed Patton’s arm to wake him up. “Patton?”

“Mm?”

“I’m getting up to pee.” He started leaving.

“No,” Patton said, pulling him back down.

Ugh, not this again. “I’ll be right back, but you gotta let me go.”

“Don’t go.”

He figured now was as good a time as ever to do this. “Patton, wake up. We need to talk.”

Groggily, he started to rub his eyes. “Yes, alpha.”

_Ugh, not this again_. “First of all, I’m not your alpha. Second, this whole clingy thing needs to stop.”

Patton, still waking up, propped himself up on his elbow. “What do you mean?”

Virgil sat up, gesturing between them. “I mean this thing where I try to leave and you try to stop me.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “You want to leave? Why?”

“No, I don’t _want_ to leave, but sometimes I need to. To do things like go to work and go to the bathroom and get us water and food. You know, to take care of myself. And to take care of you. And I don’t want to have to fight you every time.”

“Then don’t leave.”

Virgil sighed. “I just told you that sometimes I have to.”

Patton whined.

Virgil shook his head. He decided to try another avenue. “Look, do you trust me?”

“Of course,” he said with a soft voice.

Virgil cupped Patton’s face. “Then trust that I’ll come back. You’re my family, Patton. I’m not just going to abandon you.”

Patton’s lower lip trembled. “But it’s hard when you go. It doesn’t feel good to be away from you.”

Virgil shook his head. “Okay, this is what I’m talking about. That right there, what you just said is codependent. It’s not healthy. And the solution isn’t more time with me.” He rubbed his face. “I was in a codependent relationship, Patton. It was bad. For both of us. You need to figure out how to be okay when I’m not there. Does that make sense?”

Patton collapsed on the bed. “Yes,” he said, muffled by his pillow.

“Here, let’s practice. I’m gonna go pee, and you’re going to be okay with it. Here we go.” He stood up with exaggerated slowness. Patton didn’t try to stop him, which he took as a good sign. He did watch him forlornly, though. “Good. Now, I’ll be right back. Okay?”

“Okay,” Patton sighed.

Virgil took care of his business. He also stopped by the kitchen to get a glass of water for both of them. He returned to find Patton snuggling with something. At first, Virgil thought it was one of Patton’s many blankets, but when he got closer, he recognized the shade of purple. It was one of his shirts.

“Where did you get that?” Virgil wondered out loud.

Patton shoved the shirt under his pillow.

“No, I already saw it. Why do you have one of my shirts?”

Patton stared straight ahead, not looking at Virgil. “I asked Roman to get it and leave it outside my door.”

Virgil swallowed. “Patton.”

“Virgil?”

“You see how this is bad, right? Like, I don’t have to explain to you how bad this is?”

Patton abruptly sat up. “You said that I needed to be okay being away from you. Having something with your scent nearby helps me be okay. How is that a bad thing?”

“That wasn’t just ‘nearby.’ You had your whole face shoved in it!” Virgil was aware that he was raising his voice, but he had to admit that he was scared. He couldn’t go through this. Not again.

“It’s comforting!” He insisted.

“And you had Roman go through my stuff?” he yelled. “Can’t you see how that’s a violation of privacy? You didn’t even ask my permission first!”

All of Patton’s resolve left him at once, and he deflated. He broke down, blubbering apologies that Virgil couldn’t understand. He was a mess.

Suddenly, Logan’s voice played in his mind:

_If even the smallest thing went wrong, he would break down apologizing. That’s how we learned about the emotional abuse._

Was he hurting Patton? Was he opening old scars the way Patton was doing to him?

This wasn’t okay. None of this was okay.

“Patton, I need a break.”

Patton went silent. And then he cried out, “No. No! I’ll be good, I’ll do whatever you want me to do, just please don’t go! You said you weren’t going to abandon me!”

_And now he’s being emotionally manipulative_ , Virgil thought. He didn’t think Patton was doing it on purpose, but that was even more of a reason for them to step back until they cleared their heads.

He looked Patton in the eye. “Patton. I. Need. A break. Both of us do.”

He saw a glint in Patton’s eye, just a flash of lucidity and understanding. But before he could say anything else, Patton covered him mouth and nodded.

Virgil set one of the glasses of water on Patton’s bedside table. Patton kept his hand over his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut and tears spilled out. It broke Virgil’s heart.

He sighed. “Can I give you a hug?”

Patton nodded, still not uncovering his mouth. Virgil leaned over and put his arms around Patton. The angle was a little awkward, but he hoped it got the sentiment across.

He stood up. He couldn’t look at Patton. He walked to the door. He opened the door, left the room, and closed it behind him. As he walked back to his room, he could hear Patton’s sobs.

Before he could cross the threshold, Roman threw his door open. “What did you do to Patton?”

Virgil sighed. Just his luck. But he didn’t have it in him to fight. “We were hurting each other, Roman. I couldn’t stay.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t stay.”

Something about the haunted look in his eyes must have softened Roman because he asked, “Do you need a hug?”

Virgil nodded, barely holding back his own tears.

Roman’s hugs were different than Patton’s because he was much larger. He could reach all the way around and get a firm squeeze in. It wasn’t really better or worse than any of Patton’s hugs, just different.

Virgil thanked Roman and retreated to his room. The walls almost blocked out Patton’s sobbing. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	23. Day Five (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil gets some space

Virgil spent the day to himself. He went to work, which was awful as always. He came home. He went straight to his room and didn’t come out except to eat. He tried not to think about Patton sitting alone in his own room.

He hoped the shirt was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that's the whole thing. Believe it or not, I actually have a reason for making the chapter this short. Bonus points for anyone who can guess what it is!
> 
> And because it's so short, I'm posting it with the next chapter. Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: If you're looking at the "Pt. 2" in the title and wondering if you missed something: don't worry, you didn't miss anything. I needed a way to differentiate between Patton's first heat and this heat. I already have a chapter titled "Day Five" from Patton's first heat, and I didn't want to use the same chapter title twice. So calling this chapter "Day Five (Pt. 2)" was my solution.


	24. What's In Printing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Patton talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to Conner/Aroacesaturn for editing this chapter for me, and also a warm thank you to a special guest editor!
> 
> No content warnings for this chapter.

Virgil spent the next couple of days like this: sticking to himself, avoiding the pack. It was hard to do. He’d gotten used to spending time with his roommates and friends. But they let him distance himself, giving him the space he needed to sort himself out. After the disastrous fight with Patton, he just needed some time to reset and put his thoughts into words because he knew that he and Patton were going to have to talk about what happened. And he was going to have to stay calm when they did. 

After three days of avoidance, Virgil got a text from Logan at work.

_Patton told us everything, including the fact that you told him you needed a break. It seems you’ve been taking a break from all of us, which is understandable given the circumstances. But when you’re ready, we have something important to discuss with you._

Great. Were they finally going to kick him out? He tried to convince his anxiety that there was nothing to worry about, that _important_ didn’t mean _dangerous_. He sent a response.

_I’m ready as I’ll ever be._

That’s how he found himself in the living room seated in front of the pack. Roman and Logan were on the ends of the couch with Patton in the middle. Patton sat with his knees against his chest, hiding his face behind his legs. Roman’s arm rested around Patton’s shoulders. Patton wore sweatpants and a large sweatshirt, and Virgil remembered that Patton was still technically in the middle of his heat. He was just past the part where he needed to avoid the alphas.

Logan, not one to waste time, jumped right into the matter at hand. “Virgil, do you know why we’ve called you here today?”

Virgil shrugged. “I’m assuming it has something to do with Patton?”

“Correct. Will you please recount the events of your. . . disagreement from your point of view?”

“Um, okay.” Virgil cleared his throat. “Patton was starting to freak out whenever I tried to leave his room, and that freaked me out because I have a history with a codependent relationship. I think that’s why I didn’t handle it well when I learned that he stole a shirt from my room via Roman—”

“It’s not like I snooped or anything,” Roman muttered.

“—and then I started yelling at him, and he started yelling back, and I yelled some more, and then he did the thing where he over-apologizes. And that’s when I realized that we were hurting each other, and I said that I needed some space.”

Logan nodded. “I see. Patton, does that sound accurate based on your memory of the incident?”

Patton nodded behind his legs.

“Interesting.”

“What’s interesting, Logan?”

“It sounds like Patton didn’t tell you.”

Virgil’s heart pounded from anxiety. “Didn’t tell me what?”

“Virgil, there’s no easy way to say this, but,” Logan took a deep breath, “Patton imprinted on you.”

The only references that Virgil had for imprinting were romance movies and soap operas where it was used as a device for drama. “Okay. I think I know what that means, but just based on my experience with you guys, that probably means I have no clue.” Roman chuckled, and Logan suppressed smile. Virgil still couldn’t see Patton’s face. “So, why don’t you explain it to me like I’ve never heard of it before?”

“Alright, Virgil,” Logan said. “Imprinting is a special bond that an alpha or omega can have with another alpha or omega. It’s not inherently romantic, but oftentimes it is. It usually means that the person who has imprinted needs to be around the person they have imprinted on. Not constantly, but regularly. It becomes a need that is comparable to the need to eat. You can go for long periods of time without being exposed to the person you’ve imprinted on, but it’s extremely uncomfortable. And the person can experience withdrawal symptoms.”

“So,” Virgil pieced together, “it’s like a person becomes addicted to another person?”

Logan sighed. “I wish I could say that you’re wrong, but that’s essentially true.”

“And Patton has become addicted to me?”

Patton curled up tighter.

Virgil tried, he really tried not to connect what was happening with his past relationship, but the similarities were undeniable. Up to this point, Patton hadn’t acted very much like his ex, quite the opposite, in a lot of ways. But the clinginess, the goddamn clinginess brought back memories of when things started to go wrong, and it scared him. How could this be happening again? He didn’t want Patton to be addicted to him. He wanted them to be their own people so they could just enjoy spending time together without any baggage attached. When had his relationship with Patton become this unhealthy?

“It’s not as unhealthy as it sounds,” Logan rushed to say, as if reading Virgil’s mind. “Imprinting doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes significant exposure to the other person, and it’s usually mutual.”

“Mutual,” Virgil said, “you mean, two people imprinting on each other?”

“Correct. By the time a person imprints, they already spend enough time with the other person that regular exposure is not an issue. They usually think of the other person as family to some extent, and the individuals already play a significant role in each other’s lives.”

“Oh.” Virgil had a sudden realization. “Full disclosure, right before the clinginess started happening, Patton and I talked about how we consider each other family.”

Roman gave Virgil a _what the heck_ face, and Logan facepalmed. “I hadn’t realized your friendship had progressed to that degree. That explains—” his voice tapered off. Logan’s head shot up. “Wait, no it doesn’t. Virgil, you’re a beta.”

“We’ve thoroughly established this.”

“Imprinting is related to pheromones. It is physically impossible for a beta to imprint or be imprinted upon.”

“So are we _sure_ Patton has imprinted on me, or is the clinginess thing just something that only happens during his heat?”

“I’m sure,” Patton said from behind his legs.

“All we can do is take his word for it,” Logan said, “But for what it’s worth, I believe him.”

“Me too,” Roman said.

Virgil tried to wrap his head around the whole thing. First, on the fact that Patton had imprinted at all, and second, that he had imprinted on _him_. He would have thought that if Patton were to imprint on anyone, it would be Logan or Roman. He wasn’t sure how this would affect their friendship. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Patton. He wasn’t sure what Patton expected from him. He was so utterly unprepared to handle this situation. And for good reason. Until now, he had no reason to believe that imprinting would ever affect him, and now here he was. He would just have to be prepared to assert his boundaries so that his relationship with Patton didn’t end up like his relationship with. . .

“Well, Virgil?” Logan said, drawing Virgil out of his head.

“What?”

“What are your thoughts about the whole thing?”

“My thoughts?” Virgil said. Patton peaked up over his knees. Virgil tried to figure out how to articulate the storm brewing in his head. “I think—” he paused. What did he think? “I think I need to think about it some more. This is all really new, you know?”

Patton spoke up. “I think now would be a good time for me to talk to Virgil. Alone.”

Virgil dreaded what Patton had to say to him. Logan and Roman nodded, stood up, and left the room. Then, it was just the two of them. Patton uncurled himself, crisscrossing his legs.

“Virgil, will you come sit with me on the couch?” He asked. “You can say no,” he added.

Virgil wasn’t keen to have this conversation, even though he knew it had to happen eventually, but he had no qualms about joining Patton on their only comfortable piece of furniture. “Sure.”

He stood. Patton scooched over to give Virgil room, and when Virgil was sitting, he realized the advantage of this arrangement. They didn’t have to look at each other while they talked. And even though he wasn’t looking, he could feel from the rise and fall of the cushion that Patton was rocking. 

Patton spoke first. “I’m really proud of you.”

This was the last thing Virgil expected him to say. “What?”

“I’m proud of you. You were in an emotional situation, and you figured out what you needed, and you told me, even though it was hard, and you followed through. None of that is easy to do, but you did it.”

“I asserted my boundaries,” Virgil said, “even though I knew it would hurt you.”

“You took care of yourself, and you trusted me to take care of myself,” Patton said. “Because I _can_ take care of myself. I had to do it plenty of times before you showed up.”

“But was it cruel of me to do?”

“You didn’t know about me imprinting on you.”

Virgil asked, “How long have you known?”

“I figured it out right before the fight, when you were at work. That’s why I asked Roman to get me something that smelled like you.” He paused. “It helped.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was scared of how you would react. I still am. That’s why I had Logan tell you. He’s so much better at explaining things than me.”

“You’re scared I’m going to reject you?”

Patton whispered, “Pretty much.”

“I guess that’s fair, especially after I said I wouldn’t abandon you and then almost immediately I abandoned you.”

“Stop that!” Patton said. “Stop beating yourself up over it. I’m fine.”

Virgil didn’t quite believe that, but he let it go. “I’m not going to reject you, Patton. I don’t know what this means for our friendship, but we can figure it out together.”

Patton gasped, and Virgil looked over to see that he was smiling. Virgil smiled, too. “We can have another conversation about boundaries if that would help you,” Patton said.

“It would,” Virgil confirmed. “The last thing I want is another codependent relationship.”

“Do you want to talk about that?” Patton asked.

“His name was Remus, and he was insane,” Virgil bemoaned. “And he had a very gross sense of humor. But he wanted us to do everything together, and he would get upset if I didn’t include him in things. He also got all dramatic when I tried to leave, holding onto me, pulling me back and telling me how much he was gonna miss me. I think he was trying to be cute, and it was at first. But he just kept doing it, like he was legitimately scared for me to leave, and that’s when it became a problem. It took forever to get out the door. It made me late for things more than once.”

“And that’s exactly what I did,” Patton realized.

“Yeah.”

“I won’t do that again. Or, I’ll try not to.”

“I just need you to trust that I’ll come back.”

“I do. I swear I do. I think it just plays into my abandonment issues.”

“Do you want to talk about _that_?” Virgil offered

“You already know what happened. I told my parents I didn’t want to marry an alpha just to have kids. They told me I could choose my alpha, or they would pick one for me. And I ran away. And they told me I couldn’t come back.” His voice started shaking. “I didn’t think they would tell me I couldn’t come back.”

Virgil offered his hand, and Patton took it. “And now you’re terrified of the people you love turning their backs on you.”

“Not Roman and Logan. They’ve always been there when I needed them. That’s why they’re my family. But you,” he said, squeezing Virgil’s hand, “I don’t know you as well.”

Virgil ran his thumb over Patton’s hand, debating how honest to be with Patton. “I need to tell you something you probably won’t like.”

“What’s that?”

“I tend to run away when things get hard. I’m kind of a coward like that.” He turned to Patton. “I can’t promise you I’ll always be there. But I promise I’ll always come back.” He squeezed Patton’s hand. “It’s the best I can do.”

Patton nodded, squeezing in return. “Thank you for telling me. But you’re wrong.”

Virgil’s brow furrowed.

“My heats are hard. That’s just a fact. But you didn’t run away from them. Not until we were being destructive to each other, and at that point the best thing we could have done was give each other space. And I knew that in the moment, even though my stupid hormones and trauma were trying to convince me otherwise. I trust you, Virgil. And you haven’t let me down.”

“Yet,” Virgil amended. “I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”

Patton smiled. “That’s one of the reasons I trust you.” He took a deep breath. “I know you’re going to hurt me. Not on purpose, but it will happen. And if I’m being honest, I can’t promise that I’ll never hurt you. Roman and Logan and I have hurt each other plenty. But we learn, and we grow, and we commit to being better. Can you do that?”

Virgil nodded, and he felt confident that it was the truth. “I can.”

Patton’s smile grew. “Can I hug you?”

That sounded just about perfect to Virgil. “Yeah.”

They embraced. As Virgil held Patton, he wondered what the future would hold for them. But he tried not to think about that and just focus on right now. Right now, where he and his best friend were on good terms again. And that felt nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writier! And they encourage me to post more middle-of-the-week updates like this one!
> 
> Edit: Roman and Remus are not related in this fic.


	25. Getting to Know What to Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack makes an important decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Conner and a special guest editor for editing this chapter for me!
> 
> cw: swearing

Patton and Roman sat in Patton’s bedroom. Logan was still on campus, and they had him on speaker phone.

“What’s so important that you can’t wait until I get home?”

Patton piped up. “I want to talk about adding Virgil to the pack.”

“Again?” Roman said. “What’s changed since last time?”

“I imprinted on him,” Patton insisted. “And I liked what he had to say when we talked. I think he would fit into our group really well. Besides, he’s already family as far as I’m concerned.”

“He can’t join our pack. He’s a beta,” Roman countered. “Logan, back me up.”

“Actually, I agree with Patton.”

Patton cheered. Roman’s jaw fell open. “Why?” Roman asked.

“Now that Patton has imprinted on Virgil, it would be beneficial to Patton for him to be an official part of our pack. I want to do what’s best for Patton. Besides, I—” Logan paused. “I like Virgil. I trust him. I want him to be part of my family.”

Roman was flabbergasted. It was one thing for Patton to care for Virgil, but Logan? That shocked him. “Well, I don’t. What do we know about him, really? How do we know he’ll be good for us? We can’t take this decision back. We have to be careful.”

“Roman, since when are you careful?” Logan pointed out.

“No, Roman’s right,” Patton admitted. “We all need to be on board if we’re going to do this. If Roman doesn’t want it, then we won’t do it.”

“Huh,” Logan said. “I must admit, I’m disappointed.”

“I’m sorry,” Roman said, even though he wasn’t. “I’m just not ready for this.”

“It’s okay Roman,” Patton said. “We can revisit this when you are.”

Roman noticed that Patton said _when_. He sounded so certain that it was only a matter of time before Roman would want Virgil to join. Sure, the two of them had bonded over musical theatre, and he even considered Virgil a friend, but that was a far cry from making him family. He just wasn’t ready to make that leap, and he wasn’t sure he ever would be.

Would he?

***

Virgil was in the mood for some sleepy time tea. He was eager to do something relaxing after having to work a full day. On his way to the kitchen, he passed Roman, who was talking on the phone at the kitchen table. Based on his tone, he was just trying to placate whoever was on the other end of the line. He hoped for Roman’s sake that the call would be over soon.

Roman hung up while Virgil was still waiting for the water to boil. He decided to ask, just for the sake of making small talk, “Who was that?”

Roman sighed. “My parents,” he bemoaned. “They want to know how I’m doing, how the job is going, if there are any cute boys in my life, all that good stuff.”

“Cute boys, huh?” Virgil said. “Does that mean they’re okay with you being gay?”

Roman shook his head. “They think I’m straight.”

Virgil snorted. “I’m sorry, it’s just—you? Straight?” He suppressed laughter. It abruptly disappeared. “Wait, I’m confused. You said they asked about boys, so how could they think you’re straight?”

Roman leaned over, propping his elbows on the table and letting them support his weight. He looked like he was deflating. “They think I’m cis, too.”

“Oh. You haven’t come out to them?”

“No, I have. They don’t believe me.”

Virgil’s brow furrowed. “Really? How could they not believe you? You’re one of the most masculine people I know.”

Roman smiled. “Thanks. But it’s true. It’s because I’m an alpha.”

Virgil tried to understand his implication and fell short. “I don’t see the connection.”

“It’s not unusual for AFAB alphas to be masculine. So when I say, ‘I’m a man,’ what they hear is, ‘I’m manly for a woman.’”

“Ouch. That sucks, Roman. I’m sorry.”

Roman shrugged. “I try not to complain about it. It’s not like my parents are as bad as Patton’s parents, you know? They still love me and support me, just in their own way.”

“Suffering isn’t a competition, Roman. Your parents don’t see you for who you are, and that still sucks, even if Patton’s experience was more extreme.”

“But why should I complain if someone has it worse than me?”

The water started boiling, and Virgil turned the stove off. “My therapist had to work on this with me. Here’s how he explained it. Someone will always have it worse than you. That doesn’t make your emotions any less valid. When you compare your problems to those of others, it just makes you feel worse. But acknowledging that your suffering is real allows you to have compassion for yourself, which helps you feel better. Does that make sense?”

Roman stared at the wall in contemplation. “Huh. I never thought of it like that.” He turned to Virgil. “It’s kind of a hard position to be in because my parents are just moderately shitty. Logan’s parents are the best, and Patton’s parents are the worst. And mine are just somewhere in the middle. So for the longest time, I’ve felt like I don’t have the right to say anything bad about them. But you’re right. They don’t recognize my identity, and that does suck.”

Virgil poured his tea and came to sit next to Roman at the table. “For what it’s worth, I kinda get it. My mom didn’t do anything to me when I told her I was dating a guy, but things changed between us. We were never as close after that. She didn’t talk to me as openly as she used to. And she would look at me like I was strange, like she didn’t understand me.” He ran his fingers over the handle of the mug, not looking at Roman. “We haven’t talked since I moved out.”

“I’m sorry, Virgil. That’s awful.”

“But it’s no more or less awful than what you’re going through. I may have lost contact with her, but at least I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not. Not like you do.”

“True.”

They sat in silence for several minutes, until Virgil couldn’t hold back his questions anymore. “Do they know you’re asexual?”

“I told them I’m not interested in sex. They said I just haven’t met the right person.”

“Gross.”

“But I’m gray-ace, so they’re kind of right.”

“Just because they’re technically correct doesn’t mean they have the right intentions in saying it.”

“Yeah,” Roman said, “actually, that’s a good way to put it.”

Virgil took a sip. “What about the rest of your pack? Are they supportive?”

“Some of them are. Most of them call me Roman. But none of them will stand up to my parents and tell them to knock it off.”

“Knock what off?”

“The deadnaming and misgendering.”

Virgil nearly choked on a mouthful of tea. He coughed a bit. “Your parents won’t even call you Roman?”

“No.”

“Dude, that’s royally shitty. You have every right to complain.”

Roman gasped, as if realizing this for the first time. “I do, don’t I?”

“You sure do.” An alarm went off on Virgil’s phone. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start getting ready for bed. I have to be at work early tomorrow.” He stood up. 

“Good night.” Roman got his phone out.

Before Virgil made it to the hallway, however, he turned around. “Roman? I have another question.”

“Yes?”

Virgil gripped his mug. “When I first moved in and you were being really protective, what were you trying to protect the pack from, exactly? Like, what did you think I would do to you?”

Roman looked up from his phone, and if Virgil didn’t know any better, he’d say that Roman’s expression was one of regret. “I guess I was worried you would be prejudiced and that you would make our lives a living hell. I’ve met a lot of betas who are like that, and I couldn’t bear the thought of living with one.”

Virgil looked down at the ground. “I’m not like that, am I? I hope I don’t make your life a living hell.”

“Not at all! Quite the opposite, in fact. You’ve really helped Logan and Patton.” There was a pause, and Virgil looked up. Roman was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite identify. “You make us,” he paused, “better.”

Virgil smiled. “Thanks.” He turned around. “Good night,” he called over his shoulder.

Roman stared after Virgil for several minutes. He was surprised that he meant what he said. He still felt like he needed to spend more time bonding with Virgil, but what surprised him was that he _wanted_ to. He wanted to be closer to Virgil. And if that was anything close to how Logan and Patton felt about Virgil, then Roman knew what he needed to do.

He looked at his phone where he was still holding it in his hand, and he pulled up his messaging app. He opened the pack group chat and sent a text.

_I changed my mind. I’m ready._

***

It was a Thursday night, and Virgil came home from another exhausting day of work. He was hoping to have a quiet night to himself, which may include some cuddling with Patton. But the last thing he was expecting was to find the whole pack gathered in the living room. Perhaps he should have seen this coming. It was the one night they all had off.

Logan and Roman stood in front of the couch where Patton was sitting. Conversation ceased when they heard the door open, and that immediately gave Virgil a bad feeling. Logan greeted him. “Ah, Virgil. Come in. Have a seat. We have something important to ask you.”

“O. . . kay?” Virgil kicked his shoes off and sat next to Patton. He was confused, to put it mildly. “Is this an intervention?”

"Yes, we need to talk about you leaving your shoes in the middle of the room," Roman deadpanned. Logan elbowed him in the ribs, and he said, "What? I'm joking!"

Virgil looked up at Logan and Roman where they stood in front of the couch. Their heights seemed even more imposing from the lower angle, but Virgil didn’t feel threatened. He felt oddly secure. He also noticed that all of them were holding back smiles, with varying degrees of success. What was going on?

“Okay, you’re all smiling,” Virgil said. “What do you guys know that I don’t?”

Logan gestured to Patton. “Patton, would you like to do the honors?”

Patton nodded. He turned to Virgil and yelled, “We want you to join our pack!”

There was a beat of silence before Virgil said, “What?”

“It’s true,” Logan said. “We’ve discussed this at length, and we believe it would be beneficial to have you as a member of our pack.”

Virgil could hardly believe it. Part of him wondered if this was some sort of trick. “Why?”

“Are you asking what qualities you have that would make you a good member of our pack?”

That wasn’t the only way to interpret his question, but it was good enough. “Sure.”

Logan starting ticking things off on his fingers. “Well, you’re vigilant, which is a good trait to have in a packmate. You’re honest, trustworthy, hard-working, and you’ve shown a willingness to adapt to new situations.”

“Not to mention,” Patton said, “you value boundaries and consent, which our pack values, too!”

“You fit in with us,” Roman said. “We already consider you family. We might as well make it official.”

“Family?” Virgil asked. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that Patton imprinted on me?”

None of the pack members answered immediately. Logan eventually spoke up. “It was certainly a factor, yes. But we’ve been discussing this since long before Patton imprinted. And we have all individually decided that we want you in our pack regardless.”

Virgil supposed that was the best answer he was going to get. He glanced between them. “It doesn’t bother you that I’m a beta?”

Patton said, “No.” Logan shook his head. And Roman said, “Our pack is already unusual. What’s one more outcast in a family of outcasts?”

“I—don’t know what to say.”

“Please say yes!” Patton said.

Virgil eyed Roman. “And all of you want this?”

Roman perched on the arm of the couch next to Virgil. He held his gaze for a second before reaching out his hand. “Would you do me the honor of joining my pack, Jay Dee-lightful?"

Virgil felt a strange warmth bloom in his chest. He thought it might be something like happiness or joy. He grabbed Roman’s hand and smiled. “Yes.”

Everyone cheered. Virgil started laughing. Roman pulled him into a crushing hug. Patton hugged him from behind, and Logan laid a hand on his shoulder. It was a little awkward, but then again, so was their family.

_My family,_ Virgil thought. _My pack_.

After ample hugging, they backed up enough to give Virgil some room.

“I propose a toast!” Roman said.

“With what beverage?” Logan pointed out. “We don’t have champagne. We don’t even have sparkling cider.”

“We have orange juice,” Patton suggested. “We could do mimosas!”

“Mimosas without the champagne?” Virgil challenged. But he smiled. “I love it.”

Patton laughed. Roman rushed to the kitchen, retrieving glasses and pouring orange juice for four. Once the glasses were passed around, Roman raised his. “To Virgil: the newest member of our family! Something they can never take away, no matter what they tell you!”

“To Virgil!” Patton and Logan toasted.

“To family,” Virgil added.

He couldn’t stop smiling.

***

That night, before he went to bed, he texted Emile.

_I had a good day. I’m happy tonight._

He got a reply.

_That’s incredible! I look forward to hearing about it at our next session._

Virgil couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!
> 
> 12/3 Edit: It's the end of the term for my editor and I, so this fic is on hiatus for the time being. Don't worry, it won't be very long, just this week and maybe next week depending on how we're feeling. The longest you'll have to wait for the next chapter is 12/18, but I hope to start posting again sooner than that. Thank you for your patience and understanding!


	26. Beautiful and New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Thank you for your patience while I took a break. Hopefully, we're gonna get back on a regular posting schedule, but with the holidays, that might be tricky. I'll let you know if we need to skip a week. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
> 
> Thank you as always to my marvelous beta reader, Conner/Aroacesaturn, for editing the chapter for me! I know you're tired, but you really helped me out. The shoe rack is dedicated to you.
> 
> cw: swearing, brief self-deprecation

Virgil waited in Picani’s office, eager to start their session. He had so much to tell him about everything that had been happening. It was all so strange and new. Overwhelming, even. It would be nice to talk it out to try to wrap his head around it all.

Emile entered in his usual fashion. He sat in the chair across from where Virgil sat on the couch, and he asked, “Do you how do?”

Virgil smiled. “I’m actually pretty good.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Virgil! It’s been a while since you’ve said that.”

“Yeah, it has.”

“Any particular reason? When you texted me, it sounded like something good happened.”

Virgil bit his lip. “I joined the pack.”

Picani’s mouth fell open. “I say, I say, what now!”

“The pack asked me to join them!” Virgil smiled.

Picani smiled back. “Virgil, that’s wonderful! How long ago was this?”

Virgil shrugged. “About a week, I guess? Whenever I texted you.”

Picani wrote in his notebook. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. I would have thought it was a nonstarter since you’re a beta.”

“They said they don’t mind,” Virgil said. “Plus, Patton imprinting on me was probably a bigger factor.”

Picani laughed. “Patton imprinting on you? That’s a good one!” He continued writing.

Virgil stared at him.

Picani looked up. “Wait, you’re not serious?”

“I am.”

His arms fell into his lap. “Virgil, that’s not possible.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. It happened.”

“No, you don’t understand: _It’s not scientifically possible_. Imprinting is when a person develops unique receptors that are only activated by a specific person’s pheromones. Those receptors, when activated, trigger the release of oxytocin, which is a bonding hormone. But it can only happen with people who transmit and receive pheromones. It's physically impossible for an alpha or omega to imprint on a beta because betas don’t transmit pheromones.”

Virgil shrugged. “What can I say? It’s a mystery.”

Picani shook his head. “There has to be some mistake. Maybe the way Patton feels about you is similar to how imprinting feels, but he can’t have literally imprinted on you.”

“Well, he seems pretty certain, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Has he imprinted before?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then he probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m sure he’s wrong.”

Virgil slumped in his chair. Everything he had come to understand about his life toppled down around him. Here he was, just trying to make sense of all this change happening in his life, and Emile, the one person he trusted to guide him through it all, was now contradicting everything he thought he knew. He had come here hoping for answers, yet this just made him more confused.

“I’m sorry, Virgil. I’m just trying to be honest with you. Maybe I didn’t go about it the right way.”

“No, it’s not your fault. Things just keep happening with this pack that can’t be explained.”

Picani narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”

“Besides the imprinting? How about Patton’s heat lasting longer than it’s supposed to? Or the fact that Roman seems to get caught in a feedback loop with himself when we’re arguing?” Virgil shrugged. “It’s a mystery.”

“So let me get this straight: Patton imprinted on you, which requires the presence of pheromones?”

“Yes.”

“And Patton’s heat is behaving like he’s been exposed to alpha pheromones, even though the only person who’s been around him is you?”

“That’s accurate, yes.”

“And when Roman is arguing _with you_ , he behaves like he’s being exposed to alpha pheromones?”

“You could say that, yes.”

Picani wrote something down. “Virgil, will you do me a favor and smile?”

“Okay?” Virgil didn’t understand but he complied, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“No, with your teeth,” Picani clarified.

“Oh, sure.” Hesitantly, he parted his lips.

Picani squinted. “A little more.”

Virgil sighed and gave Picani as big a smile as he was capable of.

Picani’s eyes widened, and he made another note. “Interesting.”

Virgil let his smile fall. “What’s interesting, Doc?”

Picani ignored him. “And Virgil, what’s your secondary gender?”

With exasperation, Virgil answered, “I’m a beta! Doc, what’s going on?”

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions until I’ve done some research,” he said, still writing on his notepad. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me about what it’s been like for you, being a part of the pack?”

Virgil squinted at him, nervous about whatever Picani wasn’t telling him. But he trusted Emile, so he decided to let it be. “Okay. Well, not much has changed, honestly. We still do a lot of the same stuff.” Virgil racked his brain. “I got to be part of a pack meeting.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that like?”

***

Virgil was the last to be seated at the table for his first pack meeting. It felt strange, sitting in on something he’d been explicitly banned from up until now. He had to keep reminding himself that he was supposed to be here now, that he wasn’t invading. But it still felt strange.

Logan clapped. Clearly, he would be running this. “Okay, now that we’re all here, we can begin. Patton, would you like to go first?”

“I was thinking, maybe we should give Virgil a run-down of what we do, so that way he’s not lost?” Patton suggested.

“Right, of course,” Logan said. He turned to Virgil. “Virgil, as you are aware, this is a pack meeting. We hold them to encourage communication between us. It’s a chance to inform each other of what’s going on in our lives, air grievances in a respectful way, and make plans for the week. Sometimes we also hold special pack meetings when one of us has something to say to the others. For example, Patton called several impromptu pack meetings to discuss whether or not to add you to the pack.”

Virgil wasn’t sure how to feel about this. They talked about him when he wasn’t there? He wasn’t sure why this was such a surprise to him. He chalked it up to his self-deprecation making him believe that people didn’t care about him unless he was physically in the room, and maybe he should cut that shit out.

Logan continued. “The general format is that we first go around and tell each other how we’re doing, in as much or as little detail as we would like, although we encourage each other to open and honest. Then, we open up the space for problem solving in case anyone is having issues with another pack member. The key is to be calm and respectful. If a feedback loop starts to happen, we take a break and come back when the air has cleared, both figuratively and literally. Then we make plans for the week, which usually consist of meal planning, game night, and movie night. And finally, we ask if there’s anything else anyone would like to bring up. Once that’s done, we adjourn the meeting.”

“But we usually stick around and talk to each other because we like to!” Patton added.

“That’s common, yes,” Logan confirmed. “Now that that’s out of the way; Patton, how was your week?”

Patton talked about all of the different dogs he got to groom. He also gushed about a new cartoon he had started, and Virgil made a mental note to ask Emile about it. Next was Roman. But before he could start, Logan got out his phone.

“We set a time limit for Roman because if we don’t, he’ll just go on and on about all the drama going on with his coworkers,” Logan explained.

“Well,” Roman said snidely, “I’m sorry I like talking about my job.”

“You enjoy complaining about your job,” Logan corrected. “Two minutes, go.”

Sure enough, Virgil got a low down of all the drama that happened behind the scenes at Disney World. He supposed it was inevitable when you threw a bunch of actors together. Roman kept referencing the names of people that Logan and Patton seemed to recognize, but Virgil was completely lost. He just nodded and pretended to follow along.

“Time’s up!” Logan called in the middle of Roman’s sentence. He immediately cut himself off and settled back down in his chair. Virgil had to admit he was impressed. He hadn’t expected such restraint from Princey.

“I’ll go next,” Logan offered. He talked about his classes and how much he was struggling to handle the load of assignments. Virgil hadn’t been aware that this was an issue, and he felt bad for assuming that Logan had everything under control all of the time. But he said things were going well at the library, and he had an interesting coding project to work on, so that was good.

When Logan finished, Patton said, “Virgil, your turn!”

Virgil didn’t want to unload his problems on them at his first pack meeting, so he just said, “I’m doing alright.”

The others waited patiently for him to say more. They were all looking at him expectantly, and he shied away from their gazes.

Finally, Princey broke the silence. “Wait, is that it?”

Virgil hunched. “Yeah.”

But Patton was gently encouraging. “Virgil, this isn’t like small talk. We actually want to know what’s going on in your life. Like, how’s your job going?”

“I mean, it’s retail. It sucks.”

“How’s your mental health doing?” Logan asked.

“My anxiety is pretty bad.”

“What about your hobbies?” Roman asked. “What are you doing during your free time these days?”

“I mostly just scroll through Tumblr.”

“So it sounds like you’re not really doing alright,” Patton said.

Virgil looked down to his lap. “Well, I have you guys, and that’s pretty alright.” When he looked up, he found them all smiling at him. He smiled in return.

Logan clapped again. “Okay, moving on. Are there any grievances anyone wishes to discuss?”

Roman piped up, “I hate to call Count Woe-laf out at his first pack meeting, but c’mon, man, you gotta stop leaving your shoes in the middle of the room.”

Virgil had no excuse for why he did it. It was just a habit he had yet to break. But he found himself getting defensive. “Well, Princey needs to stop referring to me with insulting nicknames.”

“I will when you stop calling me Princey!”

“Woah, woah, woah!” Logan held out his hand. “Virgil, that’s not how we respond when someone voices a complaint. Same to you, Roman, and you should know better by now.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” Roman said with snark.

“Instead, we hear the person out and come up with a compromise. So, can we compromise about the shoes?”

“Oh!” Patton said. “What if we get a shoe rack by the front door so we don’t have to carry our shoes all the way to the closet?”

Logan turned to Virgil. “Would you use a shoe rack?”

“I’d be more likely to use a shoe rack than the closet,” Virgil said.

“Alright, then let’s all pitch in to buy one. How does that sound to everyone?”

There was a round of nodding.

“Good. Now, do we want to talk about the name-calling?”

“Not really,” Virgil admitted. “I just needed something to call Prin—Roman out on.”

Roman sighed. “And it doesn’t really bother me when you call me Princey.”

Logan nodded. “Alright then, moving on.”

They talked about what everyone would cook the following week, and Virgil started to tune out. Cooking wasn’t his area. They did ask for his opinion about game night and movie night, to which he reticently contributed. The conversation was going smoothly, until Logan tried to wrap it up.

“Is there anything anyone would like to bring to the group before we disperse?”

“I have something,” Patton said. “My dad is still trying to call me.”

“What does he want?” Roman asked rhetorically.

“I don’t know, I haven’t answered.”

“Good. Don’t,” Virgil said.

They all looked at him with surprise.

“What? I haven’t heard much about him, but from what I do know, I don’t like the guy. As far as I’m concerned, you’re better off without him in your life.”

“I agree with Virgil,” Logan said. “He has caused you significant pain, and there’s no reason to allow him to cause you more.”

“But what if he realizes he was wrong, and he wants to apologize?”

“Patton, do you really think that’s likely?” Logan asked.

“No, but it’s possible,” Patton muttered.

Logan sighed. “As always, we’re not going to tell you what to do. But none of us think it’s a good idea for you to pick up.”

Patton nodded. “Okay.”

“Now, if that’s everything, we will adjourn this meeting,” Logan announced.

Patton immediately stood, pushed his chair in, and walked back to his room, where he shut the door on the pack.

Virgil leaned over to the others. “Does he usually do that after pack meetings?”

Roman shook his head. “I think he’s upset with us.”

Virgil gestured towards the hallway. “Clearly, but why?”

Logan said, “I think Patton still holds out hope that he can patch things up with his family one day. So for us to quell that hope is disappointing to him.”

Virgil glanced down the hallway, sympathetic to Patton, and he hoped that Patton could see their point of view, too.

***

“He was fine the next day,” Virgil explained to Emile, “but it was still distressing for him to push us away like that, even temporarily.”

Picani furiously scribbled down notes. “It sounds like, all in all, your first pack meeting went well?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I think this is going to be a good thing for you. It’s a good chance for you to practice opening up to people and trusting them with your feelings. I would encourage you to be open and honest during the next pack meeting, even if your anxiety is telling you they don’t want to hear what you have to say. They’re your _family_ , Virgil. They care about you, and they care about what’s going on in your life, both good and bad.”

Virgil nodded. “That’s not going to be easy for me.”

“I wouldn’t expect it to be. But the more you do it, the easier it will be for you to trust them.”

“I guess that would be nice,” Virgil said in a small voice.

“I’m happy for you, Virgil. Truly, I am. It sounds like the pack is going to provide you with some stability and constancy. Now, is there anything else you’d like to talk about before our time is up?”

***

Patton’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t have to look at the screen to know who it was. Roman wasn’t home because he was working late, but Patton was in the living room with Logan and Virgil, and he told them that he’d be right back. They didn’t ask any questions, and he didn’t give them any more context. He sneaked into his bedroom so they wouldn’t reprimand him for taking the call.

When he got to his room, he answered his phone. “Hi, Dad.”

“Patton,” came the voice from the other end of the line. “It’s been a while.”

“It has. May I ask why you’ve been calling me?”

“Straight to the point, huh? No 'How are you?' No catching up? I thought we raised you better than that."

Patton sighed. He really hadn’t changed, had he? “Fine, how are you?”

"That's irrelevant.”

Patton almost laughed at the hypocrisy of it. Almost.

“I'm calling as a courtesy to you," his father continued.

“A courtesy?”

“Your life as you know it is about to change. Things are in motion to set you on the right path. There are still some details that need to be finalized, but once they are, you're coming home. And you're going to do it willingly, I can promise you that."

Patton set his jaw. “I am home.”

His father gave a humorless laugh. “Defiant as ever, I see. We'll have to do something about that. In the meantime, don't get too comfortable. And pack a bag. I won't give you very much warning when we're ready to pick you up."

Patton tried to swallow his mounting fear. He knew his dad didn’t joke about things like this. He fully expected Patton to return to his childhood home. “That won’t be necessary, father. I’m not going back to your house.”

“I’ll let you decide, when the time is right.” He hung up.

Somehow, Patton doubted that very much. His father wasn’t one give other people choices, especially his children. A cold pit settled in Patton’s stomach. His father sounded so sure of himself. Well, he always did, but this was different. It was like he was playing a game of chess, and he had already plotted out five turns ahead, and Patton had only just realized they were playing the game. Patton was scared his father would do something to force his hand, make him turn his back on his pack, his family. And just when Virgil had become a part of it. His hands were shaking as he left the room to go rejoin his packmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	27. Putting it My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton gets a visit from an unwelcome guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it is actual Christmas, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! My gift to you is this chapter. I wish it could have been something light and fluffy, but you get this instead. . . As always, this chapter was edited by the stupendous Conner/Aroacesaturn. Thank you, friendo!
> 
> cw: food mention, manipulation

Patton got home from work earlier than the others. Logan was still on campus, and Virgil and Roman both had late shifts. It would be a while before they were home. After hanging up his cardigan and putting his shoes on their new shoe rack, Patton decided that it would be nice to cook dinner for everyone. It wasn’t his night to make dinner, but he could trade with Roman or Logan, or they could do a left-overs night later in the week, or they could get takeout. There was no harm in him preparing a meal to be ready for everyone when they got home. And it would give him the chance to do something nice for his pack!

Patton changed out of his work clothes and then set to work in the kitchen. He cut up fresh vegetables and put some pasta on to boil. He selected some spices as he worked to make the food yummy, and he got a pan out to cook the vegetables. But before he got the chance, there was a knock at the door. He turned the heat down on the pasta and walked to the door. He had no reason to be alarmed until he looked through the peep hole and saw a familiar face for the first time in years.

There was more gray in his hair. There were more wrinkles on his face. He had new glasses. But there was no mistaking who was at the door.

His father.

It suddenly became harder to breath. It felt like there was a weight in his chest that was slowly spreading through his whole body. He’d experienced panic attacks before, but it had been a while. Was this what Virgil felt all the time? Poor guy.

He knew he had to get this over with. With a shaking hand, he turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Seeing his father in person was much worse than through the peep hole. There was a pang in his chest as more anxiety flooded through him. He felt the instinct to cower in his presence, and it took all his strength to stand his ground and remind himself that he was an adult, and his father couldn’t do anything to him.

Patton gulped. “Father,” he greeted.

The man nodded. “Son.”

Now that the door was open, he could see that his father wasn’t alone. Along with one of his alpha brothers (Patton wondered why Ashton was here), there was a woman—an alpha—he didn’t recognize dressed in a yellow button-up with a dark pencil skirt standing next to him.

She smirked, hand on her hip. “You must be Pat.”

Patton’s breath hitched. The weight in his chest became heavier, restricting his breathing.

The woman noticed. Her smirk deepened. “That’s what your family calls you, right?”

That was exactly the reason it was one of his triggers.

“Patton,” his father said, “I’d like you to meet Janus.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Patton said in a cold voice. “You can call me Pat _ton_.”

“Mm,” she clicked her tongue. “I don’t think so. I prefer. . .” she tapped the toe of her heel while she thought, “Patty-cake. What do you think?” It was clear from her tone that she wasn’t really asking his opinion. It was meant to be demeaning, and he felt demeaned.

He was going to give her his opinion anyway. “I think strangers don’t get to call me nick names.”

She gave a condescending laugh. “Oh sweetie, we’re not strangers.” She held out her left hand. “I’m your fiancée!”

Patton’s stomach dropped. Sure enough, around her ring finger was a ring with a large onyx stone set in gold. This was not good. This was very not good.

Patton shook his head. “I don’t remember proposing.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Patton’s father said. “We set it all up.”

“I don’t understand,” Patton admitted. “You’re going to force me into an arranged marriage?”

Instead of directly answering Patton’s question, his father said, “We’re here to pick you up so Janus can— _spend time_ with you.” Patton _did not_ like the way his father said ‘spend time.’ “I’m sure once you get to know each other, it won’t feel arranged.”

Patton gripped the door handle. “As I said over the phone, I’m not going with you. I’m sorry you had to waste the trip.”

“It won’t be a waste,” his father said. He sounded so certain, it sent another ripple of anxiety through Patton. “As _I_ said over the phone, you’re going to come with us willingly.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because if you don’t, we will destroy this little pack of yours.”

Patton had never been more grateful to have filled out paperwork in his life. Their status as a legally recognized pack meant that his father’s threats were empty. “You can't! We're a legal pack. They have claim of me. You don't have any power over me. There's nothing you can do." He felt himself start to gain courage. Logan and Roman were protecting him, even though they weren’t here. He was his own person because they said so. His father couldn’t take that away from him.

“We can claim you, actually,” his father said levelly. “Do you remember when you were diagnosed with depression as a teenager, shortly before you left?"

“Shortly before you kicked me out?” Patton retorted.

His father ignored him. “Well, if we were to take this matter to a judge, and he heard that we were never able to get you treatment, we could assert that you aren’t capable of making decisions for yourself, and he would surely side with us, giving us claim over you.”

Patton curled his hand into a fist to hide that it was shaking. “I’m a competent adult with a stable job.”

"You're an unbonded omega living with two unbonded alphas. All we have to do is lay claim to you as your family. Even if your little friends tried to claim you too, any judge would certainly give custody to us over the small, dysfunctional group you call a pack. I mean, come on. All of you living together, unbonded? Everyone knows how unstable that is."

Patton’s anxiety turned to burning rage. “You know nothing about my pack.”

They locked eyes for a minute, neither willing to back down. Patton’s father narrowed his eyes. “Here’s your choice, son: The easy way, where you come with us willingly and then return to your pack after the wedding; or the hard way, where we take this to court and take you away from your pack forever. Either way, you're going to bond with an alpha. So, what will it be?"

Patton weighed his options. He knew his father wasn’t bluffing. He would take the matter to court. And he was right: if given the choice between an established family unit and an unstable (in their eyes) pack, a judge would award custody to his family. And perhaps it was messed up that custody of omegas could be claimed up to age 26, but that was the way it was. To make it worse, Patton was _so close,_ he would only be 25 for a few more months. He was at the mercy of his father, and his father knew it. At least if he went with them, he would get to come back. Sure, he would have to get married and bond against his will, but his pack was more important to him.

He dropped his gaze to the ground at his father’s feet. He hunched his shoulders in defeat, steeling himself against the urge to cry. “Can I at least wait until they get home to say goodbye to them?” He hated how pathetic he sounded.

“No, I have an important meeting tonight that I cannot be late for. We’re here to pick you up, not to stay.”

Patton nodded. “I need to pack. I can pack quickly.”

His father was at least willing to relent this much. “We’ll give you ten minutes, and then Ashton will take you by force.”

Oh, so that’s why his brother was here. He was the muscle, so that his father didn’t have to get his hands dirty.

“And one more thing, Patton: don’t you dare try to tell your little friends about our arrangement.”

“We wouldn’t want them to swoop in and spoil the wedding, would we?” Janus added sweetly with a smug smile.

Patton nodded. His pack couldn’t know the truth, not until it was already over. They would try to save him from his family, and then his father would take them to court anyway.

He rushed back to his room, determined to make the most of every second he had. He pulled a notepad out of one of his drawers. He wrote a note to his pack.

_Dear Logan, Roman, and Virgil,_

_I’m going to stay with my family for a little while. Don’t come after me. Don’t worry about me, this is what I want. I’ll be back soon._

_Love,_

_Patton_

He left the note on his bed. He couldn’t risk taking it out of his room where his father would see it. He just had to hope that they would find it. He quickly selected one of his many bags and started stuffing clothes in pretty much at random. He made sure to grab his phone, some toiletries, his laptop, his chargers. He took the most time to pick out which stuffed animal to bring with him. It was a hard decision. They were all his favorite.

The last thing he grabbed was a sweatshirt Virgil had given him to snuggle with when he wasn’t home. He struggled with whether or not to bring it. On the one hand, he would have to be away from his alpha—no, _Virgil_ —for who knew how long, and it would be easier if he had something with his scent. On the other hand, his father and family didn’t know anything about Virgil. They didn’t know he had imprinted on Virgil, and they didn’t know Virgil had joined his pack. It was a blind spot he couldn’t afford to lose.

So he held the sweatshirt up to his face and took in a deep breath. He savored the sweet smell, letting the feeling of family and safety and home wash over him and protect him for just a moment. He gripped it as his shoulders shook, and as he set it down, a single tear spilled down his face. He shoved the sweatshirt in the closet under a blanket for extra measure, just in case his father or brother or Janus tried to come in his room. He couldn’t let them discover the sweatshirt, discover Virgil. He just couldn’t.

Finally, he hoisted the duffel bag over his shoulder, and he grabbed his pillow. He hadn’t been to his family’s house in many years, and he would sleep easier if he had something that smelled like him. He took one last look at his bedroom. And he walked out the door.

He found his father, Ashton, and Janus standing in the living room waiting for him. “I’m ready to go,” Patton said, even though he wasn’t remotely ready to leave his home.

His father sniffed. “There’s a fourth scent here. I recognize the scents of your two friends, but who’s the fourth?”

Patton’s blood froze to ice in his veins. No. He wasn’t ready to be caught yet. “That’s just our fourth roommate. We needed another person to rent this apartment with us. He’s just a beta. He’s not important.” It wounded him to talk about Virgil like that, but he needed to keep his family in the dark. At least for now.

He turned off the stove, took his keys, and followed his family and bride-to-be out the door. He locked the door behind him, lingering in front of it.

“Patton!” his father called, summoning him.

Patton sighed. This would be his life for the foreseeable future.

He got in the car and let them take him away from his home. And his father had been right. He had done it willingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	28. A Hostile Hostel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack discovers that Patton is gone, and they decide to take action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Let's celebrate the first day of 2021 with a new chapter of A Humble Abode!
> 
> This is normally where I would thank my beta reader, Conner, for editing the chapter, but for this chapter, xe did so much more than that. Xe more or less wrote half the chapter xemself. So thank you, Conner, for all your wonderful help revising this chapter to make it the best it can be!
> 
> cw: implied reference to someone being drugged, implied reference to physical abuse
> 
> WARNING: Part of this chapter can be interpreted as implying non-con. There are no descriptions nor references to it. It was never my intention for non-con to be part of this story, implicit or otherwise, but I wanted to address it for anyone who needs the warning.

Virgil was the first one to come home. He was the one who found dinner half cooked in the kitchen. He was the one who went looking for Patton. He was the one who saw the still-open dresser drawers, noticed the missing pillow, found the note. When the others got home, he was the one they found sitting at the table with the note in his hand.

“Patton’s gone,” he said in an empty voice. _He went to go visit his family? And he said he wanted to?_

“Gone?” Roman said. “What do you mean gone?”

Virgil passed Roman the note, which Roman and Logan both scanned.

Logan, ever rational, got out his phone. After tapping the screen several times, he held it up to his ear.

“Gee, call him? Why didn’t I think of that?” Virgil snarked with an eye roll.

After throwing a glare at Virgil, Logan ended the call, eyebrows scrunched. “Straight to voicemail.”

Virgil nodded. “He’s not answering his texts either.”

“Pack meeting,” Roman declared.

After Roman and Logan took their spots at the table, Virgil filled them in on what he already knew about the half-finished meal, the haphazard packing, where he found the note.

“So, Patton was making dinner when he was interrupted by his family,” Logan said, and Roman nodded.

“What makes you say that?” Virgil asked.

“There are several new scents in the entryway, scents that don’t belong to any of us.”

“I smell them, too,” Roman confirmed. “And all of them are alphas.”

“The scent of Patton’s father is fairly distinct, and I can also detect two more. One is obviously one of Patton’s siblings, though I wouldn’t be able to tell you which one.”

“He has so many alpha brothers,” Roman mused.

“And it’s been a long time since I’ve been around them, too long for me to be able to distinguish their scents anymore,” Logan explained. “And then there’s the scent I don’t recognize. Do you, Roman?”

Roman clenched his fist. “No.”

Virgil could see the tension in his shoulders. “Roman? You good?”

Roman slammed his fist on the table. “I should have been here to protect Patton—!”

Logan laid his hand over Roman’s fist and said in a soft voice, “You can’t take that responsibility on yourself. It’s not your job to protect Patton all the time. He can take care of himself.”

“But they were _alphas_ , Logan, three of them! And they took him away!”

“Exactly, there were _three_ of them. What could you have done if you were here?”

“Prevented them from dragging Patton out against his will?”

“We don’t know that they did,” Virgil interrupted. The other two looked at him. “What? If they kidnapped him, they packed for him, forced him to write the note, and locked the door on their way out,” Virgil said. “That’s too thorough, even for them. Patton had to have gone on his own.”

“But why would he do that?” Roman demanded. “It’s been years. Why now?”

“This could all be an elaborate trap to force Patton to do something his parents want him to do but know he never would,” Logan reasoned.

“Or, we could consider the most obvious answer,” Virgil said, “that Patton’s telling the truth, and he actually wanted to go.”

Logan and Roman both looked at him like he was insane. “You can’t actually believe that to be the case,” Logan said.

“Of course I do. I have anxiety, remember? My brain is always telling me that the people I love are just going to pack up and leave me behind. And that’s exactly what Patton did.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Roman mumbled, calming down.

“Virgil,” Logan said, “You don’t know Patton’s family like we do. It is entirely within the realm of possibility that they threatened him in some fashion and that he’s lying in his note.”

“But why would he do that?” Virgil challenged. “He hates lying.”

“That depends on what they’re threatening him with.”

“What makes you think they threatened him at all?”

Logan answered, “If Patton really went because he wanted to go, why would he leave without _you_? It’s excruciating for people to be without the one they’ve imprinted on for a long period of time. And he said not to follow him. At all. Not even to visit. That’s suspicious to me.”

“Besides,” Roman contributed, “if he really wanted to go, he would have planned it in advance. He would have told us he was planning it.”

“Unless he knew we would try to stop him,” Virgil pointed out.

“We can speculate about Patton’s intentions all day, but we’ll never come up with a concrete answer without asking him directly,” Logan said. “We have to stop asking, ‘What happened,’ and start asking, ‘What are we going to do now?’” He looked around at his packmates. “What _are_ we going to do now?”

“Why not trust Patton and just leave him alone?” Virgil insisted.

“Because we don’t know for sure that Patton’s telling the truth. The circumstances are suspicious enough that there’s reasonable doubt about his true intentions,” Logan said.

Virgil squinted. “What?”

“Something’s fishy here,” Roman translated.

“Ah.”

“Here’s what I propose,” Logan continued. “We give him a few days with his family. That way, if he really wanted to go, we’re honoring his independence. Then, we’ll go and pay them a visit, so if Patton was taken against his will, we can rescue him.”

“And even if he wasn’t, I’m sure he’ll be happy to see us by then,” Roman said.

“Exactly.”

“I still think we should leave him alone like he asked us to,” Virgil said, “But you guys need me to drive, so I’m in.”

Logan clasped his hands. “Actually, I believe it’s better if you don’t accompany us.”

Roman nodded. Virgil glanced between them. “Why?”

“They know Roman and me from before Patton left. They would expect us to come after him. But they know nothing about you. As far as we know, they don’t even know that you exist. And it’s probably better that way. We might be able to use that to our advantage somehow later. They don’t need to know that our pack has grown, and they don’t need to know that Patton imprinted. If he tells them, that’s one thing. But we shouldn’t give it away on our own, just in case he didn’t.”

“So you need me to sit here and stew while you two go be all heroic.”

Roman pursed his lips. “Sorry, Virge.”

“How are you even going to get there, then?”

“That’s an excellent question,” Logan said. “May we borrow your car?”

Virgil shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Not to pressure you,” Logan rushed to say, “but I have a flawless driving record. And I would take my own car, but it’s still not working.”

“You really need to get that fixed,” Roman said under his breath.

“I’m saving up for the repair,” Logan said in his defense.

“Alright, fine,” Virgil conceded. “For Patton. But just this once.”

“Understood.”

“And refill the tank before you get back.”

“An acceptable condition.”

“Then it’s decided!” Roman declared. “In a few days, we rescue Patton!”

***

They gave Patton three days. They continued their efforts to contact him, but he wasn’t answering his phone.

“This is a bad sign,” Logan said the night before they planned to go to Patton’s house. “They might have taken his phone away from him.”

“I just wish we knew that he was safe,” Roman said with frustration. “I don’t trust his family not to traumatize him. Again.”

"Traumatize is a bit strong, isn't it?" Virgil asked hesitantly. "I mean, I know Patton's family was abusive in his childhood, but he's an adult now. What's the worst they can do to him?"

Logan and Roman glanced between each other and then back to Virgil.

"What?" Virgil asked.

"You weren't there, Virgil," Logan said with a haunted look in his eye. "You didn't see him after he tried to come out to his family."

"Tell me?" Virgil requested.

Logan eyed Virgil steadily for a bit, weighing the request, and then he acquiesced.

_It was a typical night for Logan: homework and leftovers. Maybe a bit unusual because neither of his parents were home yet. But it was about to become, not just an unusual night, but a night that would be burned into Logan’s memory for the rest of his life._

_There was a knock on the door. Then another. Then series of frantic knocks, like the person behind the door was desperate. Logan jumped up and rushed to the door. He was more than a little surprised to open it and find Patton on the other side. Patton couldn’t drive. How had he gotten here? Did he get a ride? Had Roman dropped him off?_

_But these questions were quickly forgotten when Logan registered Patton’s tear-stained face and the devastation that was evident there. He recalled the text Patton had sent him and Roman in their group chat, that he would be coming out to his parents tonight, followed by radio silence. Evidently, his conversation with his parents hadn’t gone well._

_“Patton? What—?”_

_“I’m sorry!” Patton rushed to say. “I would have texted—I would have asked you to pick me up, but they took away my phone.” He sobbed._

_Logan had no idea what to say, but he knew Patton found comfort in physical affection, so he held open his arms in an offer for a hug. Patton dropped the bag and pillow he was carrying and slammed into Logan, wrapping his arms around the taller boy and squeezing with all his strength. Logan, on the other hand, gingerly placed his arms around Patton’s small frame. “You came out to your parents?”_

_Patton nodded against Logan’s chest._

_“And they kicked you out?”_

_Patton shook his head. “They said they would make me get married if I didn’t choose an alpha for myself. And they said it was your fault I'm asexual and that you’re a bad influence on me and they took away my phone. I snuck out after dinner.” His shoulders shook. “Logan, I don’t want to get married!” He fully broke down in a fit of sobs._

_Logan had no idea how to handle this situation. Surely Patton’s parents were bluffing, right? “They can’t force you to get married against your will.”_

_“But they can make my life a living heck if I don’t.”_

_Logan caught sight of the items that Patton had dropped to receive the hug, the bag and pillow._ _“I noticed you brought a pillow; were you planning on spending the night?”_

_“Is that okay?” Patton asked. “I just needed to get away.” He sobbed again._

_Logan rubbed Patton’s back. “I need to ask my dads, but if I explain to them what’s going on, they’ll probably say yes.”_

_“No!” Patton yelled, pulling back. “I mean,” he wiped his eyes, “can’t you just say we’re studying or something? I don’t want them to judge me.”_

_“First of all, my dads won't judge you. Second, why would we be studying t_ _his late? They’ll know I’m lying, and then they’ll say no on principle. And then Roman will have to drive you back to your house.” Where was he, anyway?_

_Patton sniffed. “Roman didn’t drive me.”_

_Logan tilted his head in confusion. “Then how did you get here?”_

_Patton looked down at the ground. “I walked.”_

_Logan felt his eyes widened in shock. “You walked?! How long did it take you?”_

_Patton shrugged, still not looking at Logan. “Two hours, maybe three? I don’t know what time it is.”_

_“Yeah, we definitely have to tell my dads the whole story.”_

_“Please don’t,” Patton said in a small voice._

_Logan figured that Patton had already been through hell that night, so he couldn’t find it in himself to argue anymore. “Okay.”_

_He called one of his dads, and predictably, he said, “No, not on a school night.” Logan asked Patton again if he could tell the truth, and Patton shook his head vigorously, and they had no choice but to accept the answer._

_Logan hung up. “Well, it looks like I’m driving you back to your house.”_

_Patton whimpered._

_Logan hugged him again. “It’ll be alright.”_

_They made the drive, but when they got back to the house, the door was locked. This in and of itself wasn’t unusual, given the time of night, and Patton had a key. But he opened the door to find his father waiting for him._

_Logan had no words to describe what followed. He came from a loving, supportive household, and he thought Patton did too (at least until Patton showed up at his doorstep). Logan never knew that parents were capable of saying the kinds of things that Patton's father was saying (well, yelling) to him. Things like how ungrateful he was, how appalling his behavior was, how his disobedience was shameful. Logan watched as Patton stood there, head bowed, and took all of it. And finally, Patton was told that if he didn’t want to be there that he wasn’t allowed back. Patton’s father, summarily, slammed the door in Patton’s face, both figuratively and literally._

_(It was the first that Logan had been exposed to the emotional abuse that Patton suffered, but he would come to learn that this was not an isolated incident.)_

_Patton walked back to Logan’s car in a trance. He opened the door, collapsed into the passenger seat, curled into a ball and broke down all over again. With Patton’s permission, Logan called his parents and explained everything. There was no argument about Patton spending the night after that._

That was the last time Logan drove to Patton’s family’s house, and he thought he would never make the drive again, yet here he was in Virgil’s car with Roman in the passenger seat, on their way to rescue Patton. For Logan, it was a familiar drive. It had been years, but he still remembered the turns like they were in high school. Right at the light, left at the stop sign, go straight at the intersection with the yellow house. When they got to the gated neighborhood, they both held their breaths, hoping that the gate still opened to the same code. But luckily for them, someone pulled in ahead of them, and they were able to slide in before the gate closed.

The driveway was long and winding, which Logan did not miss. Driving up the narrow path always made him nervous. Or perhaps the nerves were caused by the reason they came in the first place. But when they finally reached the end of the driveway, Logan stopped the car, put it in park, and turned it off.

He took a deep breath. Roman noticed. "You okay, Specs?"

"I find myself feeling uneasy about the forthcoming interaction."

Roman grabbed Logan’s hand. “Me too. But I’m here with you. And we’re here for Patton. We’re not leaving without him. We have rightful claim to him, remember?”

Logan nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

They exited the car and approached the door, and when they reached it, they knocked.

The door opened to reveal an alpha somewhat younger than them, maybe eighteen or nineteen. He regarded them with a steady gaze.

“Elton,” Logan greeted. There had been a time when he had considered the young man to be like a younger brother.

“Logan. Roman.”

“I’m sure you can guess why we’re here.”

“Pat’s not feeling well,” Elton explained. “Maybe you can come back when he feels better.”

“Well, if he’s sick, then he should be with his family,” Logan said.

Elton turned around to glance behind him, and then turned back outside, “He is with his family.” He lowered his voice. “You should come back.” His eyes became intense. “Later.”

Roman, not one for subtlety, pushed his way through the front door and past Elton. Logan followed Roman into the house.

“Hey! You can’t do that!” Elton protested. He closed the door behind them.

Once in the entry hall, Roman paused and glanced up the stairs. “You’re keeping Patton in his room, I assume?” He turned back around to face Elton for confirmation.

Elton planted his feet, crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. Unfortunately, he was small for an alpha, and it wasn’t as intimidating as he perhaps intended. “You need to leave. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should Patton,” Logan stated.

“No, you don’t understand—”

But before Elton could continue, there came a sultry voice from the stairs. “Hello, boys.”

Logan’s head jerked towards the stairs, and he registered several things at once. First, the voice came from a woman dressed in a yellow button-up and pencil skirt complete with heels, posing at the top of the stairs with her left hand propped against her cocked hip. Second, he could tell from her scent that not only was she an alpha, but she was the third person who had been to their apartment three days ago along with Patton’s father and brother. Third, the ring finger of her left hand was adorned with an expensive-looking ring. If she wasn’t related to the family, and she was either engaged or married, and she had an interest in taking Patton away from his home, that meant—

“I didn’t know we were expecting guests. I would have greeted you myself, had I known,” she continued, beginning her descent down the stairs.

“Who’re you?” Roman demanded. He clearly hadn’t made the same connections that Logan had.

Logan leaned in Roman’s direction and stage-whispered, “That’s Patton’s fiancée.”

One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows twitched upward, and Logan got the impression that she was impressed. Roman, on the other hand, was wide-eyed and shocked.

“You’re the smart one, aren’t you?” the woman said. “And you must be Patty-cake’s friends. It’s so nice to meet you!” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“We’re not just his friends, we’re his _pack_ ,” Roman announced, “and I _demand_ to see Patton this instant! We’re taking him home!”

She pursed her lips in mock sympathy. “Patty’s not seeing anyone right now. He’s unsightly, and. . . unwell. I’m taking all his visitors. Besides,” she reached the bottom of the stairs, “he came here voluntarily. Your _demands_ are illegitimate.” She smirked. “You wouldn’t want to take him away from the people who love him, would you?”

"What do you know about love!" Roman exclaimed.

"More than you," she declared with measured indifference. “Now, if there’s nothing else I can do for you, perhaps it’s time for you to—”

“Roman? Logan?”

Logan caught a flash of disgust on the woman’s face as all three of them turned to face the top of the stairs, where there stood none other than Patton himself. Logan almost wished he hadn’t. Patton was a disaster. His hair was sticking up in every direction. There were dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't been sleeping, and he was pale. They could see that his wrists were bruised. But worst of all, they could smell that Patton was in heat and distressed.

Roman covered his face with his elbow, and as Logan tucked his nose into his shirt, he did the math in his head. Patton had just had a heat, he shouldn’t be having another one already. The only explanation was that his family and/or his fiancée had somehow induced his heat, which was possible but almost certainly illegal. There was nothing he could do about it, though, since he had no way of proving it.

“Patton,” Logan called, “We’re here to take you home.”

Patton said something that Roman and Logan couldn’t make out.

“What?” Logan asked.

“I said, go away!” Patton called.

Logan felt his heart drop. Patton’s fiancée smirked.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Patton said.

“We tried texting you. You weren’t answering your phone,” Logan said.

“I don’t have my phone on me,” Patton said, though this didn’t really explain why he hadn’t responded for three days. Had they really taken it away from him?

“You really want us to leave without you?” Logan clarified.

Patton nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’ll come home when I’m ready. I promise.”

Roman took a step forward. Then another. Then another. No one tried to stop him. Patton watched him as he made it to the staircase. As he started ascending the stairs, he lowered his arm. He got a full blast of the scent of Patton’s heat, but he didn’t let it deter him. Patton’s eyes widened, and he took a step back. Roman could smell his fear, and it broke his heart to think that he could cause Patton to be afraid. But he kept advancing until he was right in front of Patton. He reached up to gently cup Patton’s face, and he pressed his forehead to Patton’s. This close, he could feel Patton shaking. But Patton looped his arms around Roman, stroking Roman’s back the way he knew he liked. Roman melted, making a noise that would have been a purr if it wasn’t so sad. He missed Patton. He missed his packmate and friend. Their family wasn’t whole without him.

No one moved to break up the tender display.

Patton let go, and Roman started backing up, only to freeze, lust clouding his judgment from being so close to the scent of Patton’s heat. Logan noticed. He walked up the stairs, nose still covered. When he reached Roman, he grabbed his elbow and turned around, descending the stair with Roman in tow. Patton watched them leave with broken eyes.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Roman tucked his nose into his shirt like Logan. The woman watched them, her eyes filled with contempt. “It’s time for you to go,” she insisted.

“On that, we agree,” Logan said, his voice somewhat muffled by his shirt.

On their way out, Roman merely glared at the ground, frustrated to have failed in their mission. Logan held his head high, however, determined not to let Patton’s family take away his dignity like they had taken away his packmate. He nodded at Elton as he opened the door, but Elton wouldn’t look him in the eye. Logan didn’t bother to close the door behind him and Roman. Elton was perfectly capable.

Back out in the open air, Logan pulled his shirt down, and Roman did the same. After a few breaths, Roman appeared to have regained control of his faculties. However, Logan didn’t let go; not because he didn’t trust Roman, but because he needed the comfort of contact with his packmate.

Neither of them said anything as they walked to the car, and the drive home was silent, as well. They weren’t eager to disappoint Virgil when they got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	29. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack deals with Patton's absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Conner and guest editor Ethan for your invaluable input and additions to the chapter. I couldn't have done it without both of you!
> 
> cw: mention of genetalia

Virgil was in his room. He noticed that he spent less time in the common area since Patton left, as if he was trying to avoid the reminder of what was missing. There was nothing interesting on social media, but he continued to scroll anyway. Occasionally, he wished he was back in college just so he had something to do outside of work. Then he remembered how much school sucked, why he had dropped out.

This was what he was thinking about when he heard a call from the living room. “Logan! Virgil! Come look at this!”

Virgil groaned and rolled off of his bed. Perhaps just to spite Princey, he ambled to the living room.

When he got there, he found Roman sitting on the couch with his laptop on his lap and Logan leaning over it. “What’s up?”

Roman turned his head toward Virgil. “Someone made an event on Facebook for Patton’s wedding, and Logan and I were tagged in it.”

“Elton was the one who tagged us,” Logan added.

Roman turned back to Logan. “Yeah, I know Elton was the one who tagged us, but Virgil doesn’t know who Elton is, so why would he care who did the tagging?”

“There’s nothing wrong with being thorough.”

Virgil decided to interrupt before they started really fighting. “Who is Elton?”

“Patton’s younger brother,” Logan answered.

“So, Patton’s younger brother invited us to his wedding on Facebook?”

“Not invited; tagged,” Logan corrected.

“In fact, in the comments he specifically said we’re _not_ invited and that we shouldn’t bother showing up,” Roman said.

“So, Patton’s bratty younger brother tagged you in a Facebook event just so he could rub it in your faces that you’re not invited?”

“Can you believe his audacity?” said Roman.

“Actually, he did us a favor.”

Virgil and Roman both whipped their heads incredulously in Logan’s direction. “A favor?” Roman repeated.

“How?” Virgil asked.

“Think about it: all we knew when we left Patton’s house was that he has a fiancée now. We knew nothing about the wedding itself. And though Elton’s method might have been less than ideal, he gave us important information, specifically the date, time, and location of the service.”

“Invitation or not,” Roman said, “now we can go to the wedding if we want to.”

“Why would we want to go to a wedding Patton’s parents are forcing him to go through with?” Virgil pointed out.

“To stop it, of course!” Roman declared.

“Yes, but it’s not that simple,” Logan said before Roman’s words could get anyone’s hopes up. “We need a plan. We can’t just interrupt the service and say we object to the wedding. Patton’s family will ignore us. And there’s a chance that Patton himself will resent us for it.”

Roman nodded, but Virgil was confused. “Why would he resent us for stopping him from being forced into an arranged marriage?”

Logan answered, “We came to his family’s house ready to rescue him, and he still told us to leave. For whatever reason, he’s determined to go through with it.”

“So you think he would resent us for trying to stop it?” Virgil clarified.

“Potentially.”

“That,” Roman said, “or he’s scared of what his father would do if we try to stop it. The only way I can see him going along with this hare-brained scheme is if they’re threatening him.”

“If only we knew what they were threatening him with, then we might be able to devise a way to get Patton out of it,” Logan reasoned. They all grew quiet, drawn to their thoughts.

Virgil was wondering the same thing as Logan. What could they be threatening Patton with? What would scare Patton so bad that he would go against everything he believed in just to prevent it from happening? The only thing Virgil could think of was that Patton cared more about his pack than he did about himself.

But maybe that was the answer.

“What if they’re threatening him with us?” Virgil posited. “I mean, like, what if they’re threatening us to manipulate him?”

“Oh my god, they hired a hit man!” Roman exclaimed suddenly.

“That’s ridiculous,” Logan said. “They would be more likely to sue us than to hurt us.”

“But that’s no fun!” Roman whined. “We need to get creative if we want to save Patton.”

“We don’t need creativity, we need a solid plan. A solid _logical_ plan.”

Roman pouted at him.

“This whole ‘coming up with a plan thing’ is making me anxious,” Virgil said. “Besides, it sounds like Patton would be morally opposed to it.”

“Oh! I have the perfect idea! What if we steal Patton before the wedding ceremony?” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, but didn’t stop Roman, who continued rambling. “We could climb up his house, then rappel down to his window, break through, and whisk him away to safety!” With that last declaration he struck a gallant pose.

Logan looked between Roman’s pose, and Virgil, and then back to Roman. “First of all, you _just_ called the wedding a ‘hare-brained scheme,’ and now you’re coming up with wild machinations yourself.” Roman started to respond, but Logan didn’t give him the chance. “Second, why would you climb _all the way up to the roof_ only to rappel back down? Why not just climb up to the correct floor?”

“Where’s your flair for the dramatic!”

“Where’s your practicality!”

“Nerd!”

“Himbo!”

This was the point where Virgil realized that they were getting into a feedback loop and that he should probably intervene to stop it before it got much further. “Guys. . . GUYS! I think this is what y’all call a feedback loop? I don’t really know what you do in this situation, but you should probably do it.”

Logan glared at Virgil briefly, and Virgil could see that Logan’s pupils were dilated. Logan started to growl, only to realize what was happening, cut himself off, and pull his shirt up over his nose. Roman copied Logan.

Ashamed of himself, Logan left the room. Virgil soon followed. On his way back to his room, Virgil heard Roman sigh heavily. He wished, not for the first time, that Patton was here to cheer him up.

***

Without Patton, tensions escalated. For one thing, he was usually the one to encourage everyone to get along, and without that guiding voice, they were prone to arguing, especially Roman and Virgil. For another, everyone’s concern for Patton caused them to be on edge, and they tended to take it out on each other.

Roman and Virgil got into a yelling match at the next pack meeting about the shoes thing again because Virgil wasn’t using the new shoe rack. Virgil got defensive, even though he knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on in the argument, and Logan was barely able to break them up. Taking a break didn’t help deescalate the situation, so they had to end the meeting early. Logan started getting on Virgil’s case about the showering schedule, even though he hadn’t brought it up in months. This caused Virgil to feel like the others were targeting him, and he started to distance himself from them. Even Roman and Logan weren’t getting along. Logan yelled at Roman about singing too loud while he was trying to study. This offended Roman because he interpreted Logan’s complaint to mean that he wasn’t good at singing which, even though it wasn’t true, made him defensive against Logan as well. Even as they alienated each other, they missed each other, but none of them were willing to say it first.

This all came to a head when Virgil sampled Roman’s favorite chips, and Roman caught him.

“I can’t believe you would sneak into my cabinet and steal my food!”

“I only took a couple of chips. You’re overreacting. Besides, I was the one who bought them!”

“You may have gone to the store and made the purchase, but it was my money!”

“Right. How dare I take a couple of cents worth of snack food from you.”

“Exactly!”

Logan was sitting in the living room while they argued in the kitchen. He sensed the rise in pheromones and pulled his shirt up.

Virgil said, “I have better things to do than to stand here and argue with you.”

“Like what? Scroll through Tumblr? That’s not even a real social media site!”

“At least I have followers, unlike _somebody_.”

“I have followers! You’re just jealous of my Instagram.”

“I’ve never used Instagram in my life, why would I care?”

“Because you’re alone!”

Virgil froze. Roman knew as he was saying it that he was going too far, but he was too far gone to care.

“You have no friends, no family, you’re barely part of this pack. The only person who cares about you is Patton, and he’s not even here!”

Virgil could have done a lot of things in that moment. He could have started crying. He could have yelled at Roman some more. He could have walked away. He thought about doing all of these things. But before he had the chance, a low vibration started in his chest. It built on itself until it was a steady rumble. Roman heard it, and his eyes went wide, and he realized that he had made a grave mistake. The rumble moved to Virgil’s throat where it turned into a snarl, and Virgil bared his teeth. His sharp, alpha teeth.

Roman started backing up into the living room, and Virgil advanced on him. That’s when Roman tried to placate him.

“Virgil, buddy, maybe what I said was a little extreme, but c’mon, you know I didn’t mean it. I was just angry, that’s all. And see? Look, I’m fine now. There’s no reason to do anything violent or anything you’ll regret later.” He tripped backward, over Virgil’s shoe, where the tile became carpet, but Virgil didn’t stop. He started scooching backwards. “Yeah, okay, maybe I deserve a stern talking to, and maybe even some yelling, but there’s no reason to growl. Look, I’m not growling, Logan’s not growling, so maybe just put it away, and we can talk like adults.” He bumped into the couch, unable to back up any further. Virgil continued getting closer, towering over Roman and then leaning over him and then getting in his face. Roman breathed heavily, unsure what Virgil was planning on doing or even if there was a rational part of his brain left to appeal to. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Suddenly, Virgil was yanked backwards. The growling immediately cut off, but Virgil snapped his teeth at the force pulling him back. Logan narrowly avoided having a chunk bitten out of his arm, but he didn’t let that deter him. He grabbed Virgil’s wrists and turned him so they were face to face. “Virgil, you’re emitting distress pheromones. What Roman said wasn’t okay, but you need to calm down.” Virgil tried to free his hands, but Logan didn’t let go. “Besides, he’s wrong. You’re not alone. You have me. Even if you have no one else, I care about you, Virgil.” Virgil stopped struggling. “And even though he’s mean to you sometimes, I know Roman cares about you, too.” Virgil’s chest heaved with his breaths, and he collapsed in on himself as his breathing turned to sobs. Logan let go of Virgil’s wrists and pulled him into his chest, holding his shoulders. He threw a glare over Virgil’s shoulder at Roman, who was watching the scene unfold from the floor.

Logan let Virgil cry. He let Virgil wrap his arms around him. He held him while he let out the anger and frustration and sadness that had been plaguing all of them for the past few weeks. Logan wasn’t a fan of contact, but he knew when one of his packmates needed comforting, and he was willing to provide.

Finally, Virgil’s breathing evened out, and he pulled away from Logan. Logan let go. He wiped his eyes and sniffed. Logan offered him a tissue, which he took gratefully. As he blew his nose, Roman stood, moving to stand in front of Virgil. “Hey, so, what I said was uncalled for, and I’m sorry.”

“You’re just saying that cause I nearly bit your face off.”

“Perhaps, but I do owe you the apology.”

Logan piped up. “Um, can we talk about the fact that Virgil’s clearly not a beta?”

Virgil froze. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that’s not how a beta would have reacted to that situation. A beta couldn’t have reacted the way you just did. For starters, betas can’t growl.”

“Are you sure?” Virgil said. “Cause I’ve been able to do that for as long as I can remember.”

“I’m positive. Also, there’s your teeth.”

“What about my teeth?”

“They’re alpha teeth,” Roman contributed.

“No, they’re not. Sure, they’re a little sharp, but that’s not unusual.”

“No it’s not. _For an alpha_ ,” Logan explained. “Not to mention the fact that I could clearly smell your distress pheromones.”

“I didn’t have distress pheromones, _because I’m a beta_.”

“Are you suggesting that the pheromones came from Roman?”

“Probably. I’m sure I scared him pretty bad.”

“You did,” Roman said.

Logan sighed. “Here’s what you have to understand, Virgil. I know what Roman smells like. I’ve known him for about ten years. This scent that I just picked up was different, and it smelled a lot like you, if you were a distressed alpha. _Which you were_.”

“But I’m not an alpha,” Virgil insisted.

“What makes you so sure?” Logan asked.

“I can’t smell like you guys do. I don’t know anything about pheromones or scents. And then there’s—” He cut himself off.

“There’s what?” Logan prompted.

“Just trust me when I say I would know if I was an alpha, and I’m not.”

Logan looked up in realization. “Oh! You’re saying you don’t have a knot, aren’t you?”

Virgil shook his head. “I’m _not_ answering that question.”

Roman sighed, facepalming. “Patton would be proud.”

“That was unintentional.”

Logan asked, “Virgil, what are the secondary genders of your parents?”

“I only knew my mom, and she was a beta. Betas can only have other betas, right?”

“Correct, but if your father was an alpha, or even an AMAB omega, you could be some sort of hybrid.”

“I could be wrong,” Roman said, “but I think the preferred term is intersex.”

“Intersex?” Virgil asked.

Logan shook his head and smiled. “Yes, of course! This explains why you seem to be able to transmit pheromones, but you can’t smell them. You probably don’t have receptors.”

“Wouldn’t we already know if he was able to transmit pheromones?” Roman pointed out.

“Not if he only transmits them in small amounts. That could be why it took such a dramatic event for us to be able to pick it up.”

Virgil started putting the pieces together in his mind. “If I can make pheromones, that explains why Roman gets caught in a feedback loop when he argues with me. And how Patton was able to imprint on me. And why his heats were longer than they should have been. It was my fault; I was exposing him to alpha pheromones!”

“Don’t blame yourself, you didn’t know,” said Logan.

“It also explains your scent,” Roman said.

“My scent?”

Logan’s face lit up. “Ah, yes!” He turned to Virgil. “If you remember, when we first met you, we argued about whether you smelled like an alpha or a beta. That’s because your scent can be interpreted as a strong beta scent or a weak alpha scent. But if you’re intersex, that would explain why your scent consists of both!”

Virgil processed the conversation. “I might be intersex? What am I supposed to do with this information?”

Roman smiled triumphantly. He glanced between the other two. “We save Patton.” He clapped, and Virgil recognized his scheming face. “Here’s the plan. . .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	30. I'm Coming (Wait For Me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning of the wedding, y'all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is usually the part where I thank Conner for editing the chapter for me (which xe did), but this time I also need to thank xem for literally writing part of the chapter for me it. I really like the way it turned out!
> 
> cw: implied abuse, mentions of emotional abuse, mentions of neglect, emotional manipulation

Virgil woke up the day of the wedding. He laid in bed considering the consequences of what they were about to do. If everything went according to plan, he would go to bed tonight a different person than he was now. And Patton would be right down the hall.

One way or another, he was going to get to see Patton today, and that thought sent butterflies roaring through his stomach.

There was a knock at his door. “Virgil? Are you awake?” It was Logan. “We’re getting ready to leave.”

Virgil propped himself up on his elbows. “I’m up.” He threw the covers off and propelling himself out of bed.

In the days leading up to the wedding, Virgil had voiced his uncertainty about what to wear. The answer had been, “Just wear a suit,” as if it was obvious. Virgil did not have a suit. That was an expense he had never been able to afford. But he had some cheap dress shirts and slacks. It was the best he could do. He had exactly two ties: one black and the other purple. He picked the purple one just for some zest. He left his room to join the others.

In the living room, Logan was helping Roman tie his tie. Virgil stood in silence as he took in his roommates, his friends, _his family_ , in their suits. They were stunning. The slacks looked tailored to complement their heights, making them appear even taller, and the jackets enhanced their physiques. Each had perfectly styled his hair, not a strand out of place. Virgil had to hand it to them: they knew how to dress up.

Roman was protesting. “It was fine, Logan, I don’t see how this is necessary.”

“A tie is an important statement about taking you seriously. If you’re going to tie it sloppily, it defeats the whole purpose of wearing one.”

“It’s a wedding, not a job interview. It’s just part of the dress code.”

“And we, as guests, will dress to said code to the best of our abilities.”

“Technically,” Virgil chimed in, “we’re not guests. We’re crashing the wedding.”

“Unintentional guests,” Logan amended as he glanced at Virgil. He did a double take and sighed. “Virgil, you’re next.”

Virgil looked down at his tie. It looked fine to him, but it clearly didn’t meet Logan’s standards. Virgil was about to protest and say it was fine, but then he noticed. He noticed the stiffness in Logan’s shoulders, and it wasn’t just from the suit. He noticed the rigid spine, the crease between his eyebrows as he concentrated, the subtle shaking in his fingers. He was nervous, and this was his way of handling it. He was trying to control what he could. So Virgil submitted to his scrutiny and let Logan fix his tie.

“Where’s your jacket?” Logan asked as his fingers worked the knot.

“Don’t have one,” Virgil admitted.

Logan’s brow furrowed. “That’s less than ideal, but I supposed this will do.”

“I could go get my hoodie, if that would be better,” Virgil quipped.

“It would not be better,” Logan said.

“What are you going to do with your hair?” Roman asked.

Virgil looked at Roman. “Um,” he gestured to his hair and shrugged. “This?”

“No, that won’t do,” Roman protested. “You’re lucky you have me. I’m something of an expert at using product.”

Virgil looked at Logan. “Is that true?”

“He does his hair every morning, so I would assume so.” He gave the tie one final tug. “There. Pristine.”

“My turn!” Roman exclaimed. He grabbed Virgil by the elbow and led him to the bathroom, where Roman did his hair and Virgil finished getting ready. When Roman was done, Virgil hardly recognized himself with his fringe pulled off of his face, but he had to admit he looked nice.

They walked back out to the living room, and Logan had a plate full of toast prepared. There was a half-eaten piece in his hand. Roman eagerly scarfed down on the bread. Virgil grimaced at the offering.

“You should eat before we go,” Logan said.

He was right of course, but the thought of trying to digest anything made his stomach protest. “I don’t think I can.”

“One piece of toast? Just for my peace of mind?”

Virgil grunted. “Fine.” He took one of the pieces and nibbled. Roman went for his second piece.

Logan grabbed some paper towels. “Let’s eat in the car. We need to go if we’re not going to be late.”

“Right,” Virgil said, “god forbid we show up late to the wedding we weren’t invited to.”

“Or,” Logan snapped, “We could just not go and leave Patton to the will of his parents.” The others stared at him for his outburst. Logan shook his head. “Apologies, I find myself stressed at the prospect of what we are about to do.”

Virgil walked over and laid a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I think we all are. It’s risky, and there’s a lot of ways it can go wrong. But we’re doing it for the right reasons, and we’ve thought about it carefully. We can do this.”

Logan smiled and laid his hand over Virgil’s. Virgil wasn’t experienced at giving motivational speeches, but he thought he did a good job. He was especially gratified when Roman came over and added his hand to the pile. They all snickered.

Virgil took a bite of toast. He pulled his hand out and grabbed his keys and wallet. “Let’s go.”

They piled into Virgil’s car, each hoping that on the return trip, there would be four of them. _Wait for us, Patton. We’re coming_.

***

On the morning of the wedding, Patton awoke from a restless sleep to his entire body in pain. He was shaky, and he was covered in bruises. No one would notice, though, because his suit would cover them up. _How fitting_ , he thought, that he would be in pain both physically and emotionally, but people would only see what they wanted to see: a happy omega happily committing to a happy life submitting to an alpha.

It had been weeks since he had seen Virgil, and he was going through withdrawals. His muscles were achy, and he was grouchy, to name a few of the side effects. Much longer, and his body would start to recover, which sounded like a good thing, but it meant that his imprint on Virgil would fade until it disappeared. The thought broke his heart. He liked being imprinted to Virgil, and he didn’t want to bond with anyone else.

It had taken all he had not to slide back into the self-deprecation he was conditioned to. When he caught himself thinking, _They’re only doing what’s best for me_ and _I deserve this_ , he forced himself to picture Logan, Roman, and Virgil. His pack was waiting for him, and they would never do this to him. Because he didn’t deserve it, and it wasn’t what was best for him. He knew he had pushed his pack away for a reason, that it was what he had to do. But god it was _so hard_ to keep fighting. He didn’t want to end up like his mother, hollow and submissive and subservient, but he was slipping. Much more of this conditioning he was being subjected to, and he feared he might not be able to come back.

He heard quiet footsteps approach his room, and he squeezed his eyes shut, face contorting in pain, tears spilling out of his eyes.

When he heard his bedroom door open without a knock, he tried to curl into a ball around the pillow he held. The person in his room hurried across the room upon hearing his tears, and he flinched backwards, trying to get away from her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he placated, waiting for another hit to land.

It never came. Instead, something was laid on his bed, and he detected the faint scent of his mother. He felt tremoring fingers card through his tangled hair. He let the gentle hand continue, apologies dying on his lips, pretending for just a moment that it was Virgil next to him, being so comforting and kind.

He opened his eyes to find the vacant eyes of his mother. This was the first time he’d seen his mom since getting kicked out. She was there in the background as his father yelled, watching her disowned son with the same blank expression she wore now.

She stopped her carding, holding her hands out to help Patton up, and as he allowed her to pull him out of bed, part of him wondered why she was here. He hadn’t seen her since his return to his parents’ house, likely due to his father forbidding her from visiting him in his room. Was he still dreaming?

“Mom, why are you here?” He paused, tasting metal at the thought of _her_. “Where’s Janus?”

His mother picked up whatever she had laid on his bed, and he recognized the suit he would be dressed in for the ceremony. “I’m here to help you get ready for your wedding!” She held the hanger up to Patton’s shoulders, getting a glimpse of what the suit would look like when he was in it. “Pat, Darling, I can’t believe you’re finally getting married, and to such a nice girl.” She spoke quietly and politely, as she had been trained to do, as she had tried to train Patton to do. She reached up to gently pat his cheek, and he looked down at her with the ghost of a smile. She smiled back. Neither smile reached their eyes.

As his mother helped him get ready for the day, Patton allowed her to fuss over him, dote on him. He used to marvel at his mom, at how she used to tell him such grand stories, carding her fingers through his hair after his father would yell. As these memories entered his mind, Patton slipped, thinking, _she wants what’s best, and I won’t disappoint her_. He glanced in the mirror and saw a prince from one of his mom’s fairy tales, and he wondered if this was how Roman looked at work.

Remembering his pack snapped him out of it, and he remembered why he was fighting. He didn’t look real. He just looked like what they wanted to see. He was not ready to be forced into happily ever after.

_Virgil, please,_ he begged to no one, _please come save me_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? (Or maybe you just want to scream at me?) Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!
> 
> By the way, Conner wrote everything after Patton's mom came in. Xe said, "The chapter is too short. You should add an interaction between Patton and his mother." I said, "But I don't want to write it." And Conner said, "I'll do it." And then xe did. And that's how the end of the chapter was created!


	31. What a beautiful wedding (says a bridesmaid to a waiter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get arrive at the wedding, only to hit a road block. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my marvelous friend Conner for editing this chapter for me!
> 
> cw: swearing

They decided to park a few blocks away from the St. Clifford’s Chapel. Logan, knowing Patton’s family, assured Virgil that this would be a high-class event, and they couldn’t risk ceding the car to a valet just in case they needed to make a quick get-away. Sure enough, as they walked up to the church, they watched a couple in fancy dress hand their car keys to a man in a suit, who drove it away.

_See, we thought this through,_ Virgil tried to convince himself. _This is going to work out_.

They followed the couple to the entrance to the church, where a short line was formed in front of the doors. As they made progress toward the entrance, Virgil noticed that the guests were showing pieces of paper to a man who Virgil could only assume was a bouncer. Unfortunately, they had no such piece of paper.

“Hey, guys,” Virgil said under his breath, “I think they’re only letting people in who have invitations.”

“That. . . could be a problem,” Logan responded.

“Don’t worry—I got this,” Roman said with unearned confidence.

When it was their turn, they were, of course, stopped by the bouncer. “Invitations, please,” he said.

Needless to say, this was a factor that they hadn’t accounted for. Their entire plan banked on not getting recognized and no one questioning why they were there. It was a huge risk to take, and apparently, this flaw in their plan was going to stop them at the door.

Roman took the lead. “We must have left them at home. How were we supposed to know that we needed to bring them?”

The bouncer turned his head towards Roman. “It says so on the invitation.”

How could they be so thoroughly unprepared for this? Their plan was already going south, and they weren’t even in the door yet. Roman, apparently blanking or panicking or both, grabbed Virgil and Logan by the elbow. “Why don’t we go home and get our invitations, and then we’ll come back.” He pulled them away from the door, and they followed him around the corner.

“Well, that went well,” Roman said sarcastically.

“We should have considered that they would hire security for the event, if only to keep us out,” Logan said.

“We’re royally screwed,” Virgil whispered. “How are we going to save Patton if we can’t even get in the door?”

“There has to be another entrance,” Logan reasoned.

“What makes you think that A) it will be unlocked, and B) it won’t have another bouncer in front of it?” Virgil pointed out.

“We have to try,” said Roman.

No one could argue with that, so they set off to walk around the building.

As it turned out, they did find another door, which was also secured by personnel. Before they were spotted, they convened to figure out a plan.

“What if he also asks for an invitation?” Roman asked.

“We have to be prepared with some kind of excuse for why we need entrance into the church without an invitation.” Logan said.

Virgil was already preparing a lie. “I got it! Follow my lead.”

“Maybe we should talk about this first?” Logan whispered.

But Virgil was already marching towards the guy guarding the door, so the others had no choice but to follow him.

He walked right up to the man and asked, “Can I go in?”

The guy looked at him like he was insane. He took a sip of an iced Starbucks drink. “The main entrance is out front, b*tch.”

“I know, there’s some kind of event happening today, but we’re not part of it. We just want to go in real quick, and then we’ll be right out. I promise.”

Logan and Roman looked at each other, Roman doing a better job at hiding his panic than Logan.

The guy pulled his sunglasses down to show them his expression of disbelief. “Gurl, who do you think I am? It’s a private event! I’m getting paid to keep people out, not to let them sneak in. Be gone, thot!” He punctuated his statement with a long sip of his drink.

Roman made an offended noise.

Virgil became visibly more distressed, and the others couldn’t tell whether or not it was an act or his real anxiety. “You don’t understand. We’re members of this church. My mom was helping bake in the kitchen the other day, and she left her mixing bowl by mistake. She asked me to pick it up on the way home. I just need to go in and find it really fast, and then I’ll be out.” Logan and Roman tried not to look surprised at Virgil’s outright lie, with mixed success.

The bouncer was not buying it. “A mixing bowl? Do you always dress up like this when you search for lost property?”

Virgil tried to make his eyes pleading, but he was doing a really bad job at it. “Please, it was my grandmother’s mixing bowl. She passed away not too long ago. It’s really special to my mom, and she’ll kill me if I don’t come home with it!”

Roman schooled his expression, but the pressure and the ridiculousness of the situation got to Logan, and he broke down laughing. Virgil struggled to keep a straight face himself, and he clenched his fists because this all sounded a lot better in his head, and there was no way the bouncer was letting them in now.

Instead, the bouncer smirked. “Well, if it really means so much to you, go right ahead, babe.”

They all reacted with surprise, unable to believe that that actually worked. Although, the bouncer’s tone was hard to read, and Virgil wondered if the guy was being serious. “Wait, really?”

“Really.” He stepped aside from the door.

Virgil smiled. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise we’ll be right out.” All three of them moved towards the door.

“Woah, woah, woah, not so fast!” Virgil froze. He knew it was too good to be true. “How many b*tches does it take to look for a bowl?”

Virgil turned. “Uh, three?”

The guy shook his head. “Here’s the deal. Either you go in alone, or you get out of here.” He took a step closer to Virgil, towering over him. “Unless, of course, you’re lying to me?”

The other two looked at Virgil nervously. He said he was taking the lead on this. It was his decision about what to do.

Virgil shook his head. “No, I’ll go in alone.” He rushed into the building before he had the chance to change his mind.

“Came back fast. Don’t make me come in after you,” the bouncer said from outside.

Virgil looked at Roman and Logan as the guy closed the door behind him. They eyed him with concern. It wasn’t ideal for them to split up, but if any of them needed to get in for the plan to work, it was Virgil. They just hadn’t anticipated that he would have to do it alone. He gave them what he hoped was a reassuring expression before the door closed.

And then he was standing alone in a hallway.

Well, he got in. That was a win. Granted, it was a mixed success, since he had counted on having his pack here to help him, but at least he could move forward with the plan. He walked down the hallway in what he hoped was the general direction of the entrance to the sanctuary.

Now that Virgil’s pillars of support were gone, his anxiety wrapped around him like a vice. Here he was in a place he wasn’t supposed to be, planning on stopping an event he wasn’t invited to. He was trying to navigate a building he had never been in without any kind of map or guide, and even if he had one, he wasn’t even certain where the ceremony would be taking place. He was completely lost, and without a significant amount of luck, he was completely fucked. He wished for the dozenth time this minute that he had his pack with him.

By some minor miracle, he made it to the front of the church. He turned a corner to see people in nice clothes mingling and filing into another room. _Must be the sanctuary_ , Virgil reasoned. He ducked back behind the corner where no one could see him while he collected himself. He took deep, calming breaths. He tried to assure himself that no one would recognize him and that that was a good thing. No one would know he was out of place. All he had to do was act like he belonged there, and everyone would believe that he did.

Just as he was about to round the corner and pretend to belong, there came a voice from behind him.

“Hey! You!”

He froze, thinking about how much he was well and truly fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? (Or maybe you just want to yell at me for leaving you on a cliffhanger?) Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	32. Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil, you're too dramatic for your own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my splendorous friend Conner for editing this chapter for me. Xe even got one of xer crack theories in there (as if that hasn't happened already. . .)
> 
> cw: swearing, anxious thoughts

“Hey! You!”

Virgil froze.

“Yeah, you! I recognize your scent.”

Virgil turned. A young man who looked familiar somehow was definitely talking to him. “Uh, I don’t think we’ve met.”

“No, yeah, you smell like the car that Patton’s pack drove to our house.”

From that, Virgil was able to draw several conclusions. First, the guy was either an alpha or an omega, if he was talking about recognizing Virgil from his scent. Second, he had been at Patton’s house the same time as Logan and Roman, since that was the only place where Logan had driven his car. Third, he must be related to Patton, likely his brother. That would explain why he looked familiar; he shared traits with Patton.

Virgil figured that the best move he had at this point was to lie. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But he was a terrible liar, and the young man picked up on that immediately. His face lit up. “It _is_ you! You’re the fourth member of Patton’s pack!”

Virgil was speechless. It had taken him all of ten minutes to get caught, and he wondered what they were going to do with him now that they knew. “I—uh—”

“Are you here to get Patton back?”

Virgil blinked. “I—what?"

The young man held out his hands in placating gesture. “Let me start over. My name is Elton. I’m Patton’s brother. Don’t worry; I’m on your side. I’ve seen the way Dad and my brothers treat Pat and Mom, and Mom just stands by and lets it happen. But if they really cared about them, they wouldn’t treat them that way. It’s too late for my mom. But please, save Patton.” He lowered his hands and clasped them in front of him. “Bring him home.”

Virgil nodded, relief flooding his system. “I will.”

Elton smiled. “Good. So, what’s the plan?”

“I need to get into the ceremony without anyone else recognizing me. From there, you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Okay. I can get you into the sanctuary, no problem.” He started shrugging out of his jacket. “Here, take this. It will mask your scent. People might think it’s weird that you smell like our family even though they don’t know you, but at least they’ll assume you’re supposed to be here.”

Virgil donned the garment. It was a smidge too big for him, but not enough that anyone would notice unless they were looking for it. Elton clapped Virgil on the shoulder. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Virgil responded.

Elton walked Virgil around the corner and towards the sanctuary doors. Virgil felt more confident now that he found a member of Patton’s family who was invested in helping him succeed, kind of like an inside source. They made it to the doors without attracting attention. Virgil held his breath. They were so close. And of course, they were stopped by a gentleman who was greeting people at the door.

“Elton.”

Elton froze next to Virgil. “Father.”

Virgil didn’t know very much about Patton’s father, but one thing he did know was that he didn’t like him. He did his very best not to glare at the man who had hurt his best friend, and he had no idea if he was succeeding.

Patton father scrutinized Virgil. “I don’t recognize this young man. I believe he’s not on the guest list.”

“This is my plus-one,” Elton lied. He was much better at it than Virgil. “He’s a friend of mine from school.”

“Really? What’s his name?” his father challenged.

Virgil realized that he’d never introduced himself to Elton. He stuck his hand out. “I’m Virgil. Sir.”

He took Virgil’s hand and shook it, still scrutinizing. “Why is he wearing your jacket, son?”

Elton started to flounder, but Virgil jumped in. This time, he stuck to the truth. “I don’t have a suit of my own, and I felt self-conscious about it. Elton was kind enough to lend me his jacket so I wouldn’t stand out.” Well, the semi-truth.

The man turned to his son. “Is this true?”

Elton nodded. “It is, sir.”

“Hmm.” Virgil felt like the man didn’t believe them. But he must have decided he had bigger fish to fry, because he finally shifted his gaze. “Enjoy the wedding, Virgil.”

Virgil breathed a sigh of relief that he hoped wasn’t noticeable. “Thank you, sir.” They made their way into the sanctuary.

The sanctuary was a large room lined with pews on either side of an aisle. The ceiling had to be at least thirty feet high, elegantly carved out of some sort of marble. The walls were lined with intricate portraits depicting characters from the bible and various saints. There was a rich carpet on the stairs leading up to the alter, and breathtaking stained-glass window behind it. In short, the room was fancy as hell, and it intimidated the living daylights out of Virgil. _Not unlike these people,_ Virgil thought. Some were already seated. Others mingled throughout the room, weaving their way through the crowd and chatting with whoever they managed to snag. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best, which was ironic because it was a Saturday.

About halfway down the aisle. Elton pointed at a seat. “This is a pretty inconspicuous place to sit.”

Virgil shuffled into the pew. Elton didn’t follow. “What about you?”

“I’ll be sitting up front with my family.”

“Gotcha.” Virgil started to take off the jacket.

Elton shuffled his foot, looking down. “That thing you said to my dad, about not having a suit, was that true?”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never been able to afford one.”

He waved a hand a Virgil. “Then keep it.”

Virgil looked down at the jacket and then back up at the boy. “Are you serious?”

Elton shrugged. “It’s not my only suit jacket.”

Virgil shook his head. “That’s too generous of you.”

Elton swallowed hard. “Consider it an apology for everything my family has done to Patton.” He shuffled his foot again. “Then it’s not nearly enough.”

Virgil shuddered, wondering if he dared to try to understand the implication behind that statement. He shrugged back into the jacket. “Thank you.”

Elton glanced at the front of the room where his family sat. “Well, this is where I leave you.” He gave Virgil a thumbs up and a small smile. “Good luck!”

Virgil smiled. “Thank you. Again.” Elton turned and walked the rest of the way down the aisle, leaving him alone.

Virgil had nothing to do while he waited for the ceremony to begin, so he got out his phone. This part of the plan was just a matter of waiting. So he waited, doing his best not to attract the attention of anyone else in the room. He quietly celebrated the fact that he had managed to sneak into a heavily guarded wedding which he had not been invited to, and he worried over the thought of getting caught and blowing it now. He was in too deep, and there was too much at stake. Luckily for him, no one really seemed to care about his presence one way or another. He focused on his phone, or he tried to.

Finally, the top of the hour arrived, signaled by a bell. People started filing into the pews to sit down. A couple of people seated themselves on Virgil’s pew, and Virgil had to quiet the spike in anxiety that warned him he was about to get caught. _These people have no reason to suspect me_ , he reasoned, _as long as I don’t give them one._ If they knew why he was here, they would probably want him thrown out just as much as Patton’s family. He didn’t intend to let this ceremony come to its conclusion, and if he was successful, there would be no _I do’s_ today. At least, not in this building.

Organ music started playing, and Virgil cringed. This was going to be the most cliché wedding imaginable, wasn’t it? People turned around in their seats, and Virgil followed suit, although he wasn’t sure what they were all supposed to be looking at. He got his answer when people started walking down the aisle, pairs of men and women. _The bride’s maids and groomsmen_ , Virgil realized. When they reached the alter, they parted ways, situating themselves on either side of the alter. The men all looked similar, with varying ages. Patton’s brothers? How many did he have? And what, were they clones or something? He didn’t have much time to wonder about that because shortly after came a woman in an elegant black dress being escorted down the aisle. She had to be the bride, the alpha. Her name was Jane, right? No, Janet? Something like that. Although Virgil was confused about why her dress was black. Shouldn’t it be white? He got his answer after Janet finished walking down the aisle, and everyone turned around again.

Standing in the back, ready to walk down the aisle, arm-in-arm with his father, was Patton.

He looked stunning, and for a second, Virgil forgot how to breath. His suit was white and resplendent, and it seemed to sparkle in the light. It wasn’t a traditional suit, at least not by beta standards. It wrapped around the front of Patton’s body, like a marching band jacket, fastened at the shoulder by two intricate buttons. More buttons, these one decorative, lined the front of the jacket, slanting ever so slightly as they descended to the waist. The buttons caught the light and reflected it, creating the illusion that Patton was shining.

And then Virgil looked past the marvelous jacket to the man himself.

Patton’s face was a mask of neutrality. He didn’t look happy by any stretch of the imagination, nor did he look miserable. Or angry. Or sad. Or anything. He didn’t even look resigned. He just looked blank, like he wasn’t even fully there. He stared straight ahead, not seeing the guests, not seeing Virgil. Virgil wanted more than anything for Patton to notice him, to realize that his pack was here, and they wouldn’t let this happen to him. He almost waved, but he couldn’t risk giving himself away. Not yet. He balled his hands into fists and pressed them into his lap. He let Patton walk past without seeing him. And while the other guests ogled at the beautiful omega in front of them, Virgil grimaced at this circus that Patton was expected to perform in.

The organ music concluded as Patton reached the alter. He climbed the steps and took J-whoever’s hands. Virgil felt a spike of jealousy. He found himself thinking, _That’s_ my _omega. She doesn’t have any claim to him_. Then he found himself wondering when he had become such an alpha. Though, he supposed, he always had been one.

The officiator person (Pastor? Priest? Bishop? Rook? Knight? No, those last few were chess pieces, focus Virgil) started speaking, and this was the part that made Virgil really nervous (as if he hadn’t been the whole time). His job was to interrupt the ceremony and say the magic words that would get Patton out of this. But without knowing the structure of the ceremony, he had no idea when to do it. Should he do it now? Should he wait until later? If he waited too long, it might get to the point where it was too late. Supposedly, there would be a part where the officiant would ask if anyone objected to the union, and that would be the perfect time to do it. Unless for some reason, they cut that part out and jumped straight to the vows or whatever. What if he did it too early? What if he did it too late? What if he did it wrong, and it didn’t end up making a difference? What if nobody cared? What if everybody laughed at him? What if Patton himself rejected Virgil’s attempt to save him? What if this was secretly what Patton wanted, and Virgil was about to ruin it? What if his anxiety wouldn’t let him do it, and he couldn’t save Patton anyway? What if it all went wrong? What if, what if, what if…?

Virgil took a deep breath. What if it all went right? What if Roman’s plan worked? It had so far. What if this was exactly what Patton needed them to do? What if he went home today a hero, at least in Patton’s eyes and the eyes of his pack? And who cared if he waited for the “right moment?” There was no “right moment” to ruin a wedding. That was the whole point of ruining it. He might as well just save these chucklefucks some time, so they didn’t have to sit through the whole ceremony, if he was just going to stop it anyway.

In that moment, Virgil decided that he was going to do this, anxiety be damned. And that didn’t mean that he wasn’t feeling its effects, because it wasn’t that easy. Of course it wasn’t. But he was going to do this even though he was scared because it was what his family needed. And he was going to do it right.

Virgil stood up and yelled, “I object to this wedding!”

A chorus of gasps echoed through the room. People turned their heads to look at him. But there was only one that he cared about. Patton turned, too, and when his eyes landed on Virgil, the mask fell. His eyes widened for a second before a slow smile spread across his face. Virgil smiled back, and for a second, it was just the two of them.

A man stood—the same man who had tried to stop him outside the door, the man who had escorted Patton in, his father—and yelled, “Who do you think you are to interrupt this service!”

Virgil shuffled out of the pew, awkwardly passing the people who had come in after him. But once he reached the aisle, he was able to saunter like a badass. All eyes were on him, and no one dared to say a word. He had the floor, and he was going to milk this moment.

When he got close enough for the man—as well as Patton—to be able to see him clearly, he broke into a shit-eating grin. “I’m here to claim Patton.” He smiled with all his teeth, revealing his canines to the world, to Patton. He registered Patton shock and delight right before he said, “I’m his fucking alpha!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	33. Poise and Rationality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys reunite!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I have to thank my humorous friend Conner for editing the chapter for me. I say humorous because much of the time we were editing this chapter was spent laughing over the crack ideas that we had (I say we; it was mostly Conner), several of which did not make it into the final draft. Rest in peace "dat ass doe," "that dumptruck of an ass," "he had the ASSets to prove it," and "a few pancakes short of a snack."
> 
> cw: swearing, dissociation, mentions of abuse, biting

2 weeks before the wedding

_“I might be intersex?” Virgil said, perplexed. “What am I supposed to do with this information?”_

_Roman smiled triumphantly. He glanced between the Virgil and Logan. “We save Patton.” He clapped, and Virgil recognized his scheming face. “Here’s the plan: All we have to do is crash the wedding, and you” he pointed at Virgil, “can interrupt the ceremony and claim Patton!”_

_Virgil shook his head. This was a lot of stuff getting thrown at him all at once. “Claim him? What does that mean?”_

_Logan said, “It means you are asserting your right to be the one who bonds with him.”_

_“Bond? That’s like, when an alpha bites an omega, right?”_

_“Correct,” Logan confirmed._

_“I remember Emile telling me about it, but he never really explained_ why _you guys do it.”_

_“You mean, ‘why_ we _do it?’” Logan corrected. “You’re an alpha, too.”_

_Virgil closed his eyes and shook his head. “Right.” That would take some getting used to._

_“To answer your question, it can be likened to a sort of biological marriage. If you were to bond with Patton, it would link your pheromones for life, and it would change the way other alphas react to Patton’s pheromones, which would protect him from the advances of other alphas.”_

_“Wait,” Virgil said, still trying to wrap his head around it. “You said ‘marriage’ and ‘for life’ really close to each other. For one thing, that’s really intense. And also, you said that claiming Patton would mean that I’m ‘asserting my right’ to bond with him? That doesn’t sound like the kind of thing I should have a ‘right’ to. Shouldn’t it be Patton’s decision, too?”_

_Logan sighed. “Ideally, yes. Unfortunately, that’s not the way Patton’s parents see it. To them, an omega’s sole duty to their family is to bond with an alpha, and traditionally it’s the omega’s parents who accept the proposal from an alpha who wants to claim them. That doesn’t mean that they won’t take the omega’s wishes into account when making their decision, but to people like Patton’s parents, the omega doesn’t really have a say in it.”_

_“Then would it really make a difference if I try to claim him? It’s not like they’re going to say, ‘Oh hey, thanks for interrupting us forcing our son into an arranged marriage, of course he can marry you instead.’”_

_“No,” Roman admitted. “But hopefully, it will give Patton the courage to stand up to his dad at that point, and then once Patton is bonded to you, there’s nothing his parents can do. You’ll legally have custody of him.”_

_“WAIT,” Virgil said, “HOLD ON. I’ll have_ custody _of him!?_ ” _he screeched. “That’s so messed up! This was_ your _idea, why don’t_ you _do it!”_

_Both of the (other) alphas suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. Roman made a face, and Logan visibly cringed. “I understand your discomfort, Virgil, but bonding is a fairly romantic gesture,” Logan explained. “Roman and Patton and I think of each other more like brothers. Either of us bonding with him would be akin to marrying a cousin.”_

_“That, and Patton’s technically my ex,” Roman said._

_“There’s also the fact that I’m aromantic,” Logan added._

_Virgil’s eyes widened, and he nodded. That didn’t make him any more comfortable with the implications of bonding with Patton, but he understood why it would be less awkward for him to be the one to do it. He didn’t have the history with Patton that the other two did._

_“Besides,” Logan continued, “Patton will turn twenty-six in a few months, and then he will be old enough to claim custody of himself.”_

_That did help Virgil feel better about the whole thing, that the legal technicalities that made him uncomfortable were only temporary. But then, there was the matter of accomplishing all of this. Virgil turned to Roman. “So, Roman.”_

_“Yes?”_

_“You’re saying we need to crash the wedding, with no guarantee that we won’t be thrown out as soon as his family recognizes us.”_

_“Sure.”_

_“And interrupt the ceremony, which people might just ignore anyway.”_

_Roman was beginning to look uncertain. “Uh-huh.”_

_“At which point, if we get that far, I would claim Patton, forcing him to choose between bonding with Janus and bonding with me?”_

_“Pretty much,” Roman sighed._

_“And that’s the best plan we have?”_

_The three alphas glanced between each other, willing anyone to come up with something better. No one did._

_Virgil nodded decisively. “Then let’s hope it works.” ~~~~_

***

**Roman**

Roman recalled this conversation as the three of them stood outside waiting for Virgil, except that Logan and Roman knew that Virgil wasn’t coming back. Which meant that it was only a matter of time before the guard figured them out, and who knew what he would do then. They waited silently, neither of them daring to make conversation with the guard or each other. Roman was nervous for Virgil and Patton, and he could tell that Logan was nervous, too. With Virgil’s anxiety, would he be able to pull it off? They were supposed to go in together. It had never even occurred to them that they might have to separate. But at least Virgil got in, so their plan wasn’t a complete bust. Yet.

As they stood there, Roman started concocting a back-up plan in case they needed it. It involved rope, climbing up to the roof, finding a conveniently placed hatch, and lowering someone down into the building to snatch Patton from above. Maybe someone would even sneeze and he would be able to say, “Hay fever?” before dramatically rising out of the building and running away together. The practicalities of this situation—namely, that they did not have a rope and that Logan wasn’t strong enough to lift the weight of both Roman _and_ Patton—did not occur to him. Because Logan was correct in his assessment that Roman was, indeed, a himbo.

After about fifteen minutes of awkward silence, the guard checked his watch. A bell chimed, signaling the top of the hour, which meant that the wedding was starting. He eyed the other two suspiciously. “How long does it take to find a fucking bowl?”

Logan cleared his throat. “I have a confession to make: our friend was lying.”

Roman’s head whipped in Logan’s direction. _What are you doing, you ding dong doofus? You’re going to get us kicked off of the property!_

“You don’t say, babe” the guard said sarcastically, taking a sip of iced coffee.

Roman looked at the guard. “Wait, you knew?”

“Well, duh! Your friend isn’t exactly going to win an Oscar any time soon.”

“So, why did you let him in?” Roman asked.

The guard smirked, shrugging. “Just for fun. They aren’t paying me very well for this job. I figured one kid couldn’t do any harm. Besides, I didn’t expect him to call my bluff when I told he could go in as long as you two stayed outside.”

“If I may,” Logan said, “I would like to explain the real reason why we’re here.”

“The truth?” the guard said. “Go for it.”

Roman tried to make eye contact with Logan, to make him change his mind. He, as an actor, could come up with a much more convincing lie than whatever Logan was about to say. Unless he really was about to tell the guard the truth about coming to stop the wedding, in which case Logan had gone insane, and they were definitely going to get thrown out.

Logan took a deep breath. “The truth is that the groom is a very good friend of ours. You could say we’re like family.” Roman held back a snicker at Logan’s choice of words. “But his biological family doesn’t like us, and they didn’t want us to come. But he’s one of our best friends; we can’t imagine missing his wedding. I know if it were up to him, he’d want us to be there. And you are the only thing standing between us and the ability to support him.”

With wide eyes, Roman nodded. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was true enough. And hopefully, it was enough to get them through the door.

The guard raised his eyebrows and balked at them. “Why didn’t you just say so in the first place? Of course I’ll let you in.”

Roman blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Sure. Like I said, they’re not paying me nearly enough, and I can’t think of a better way to stick it to them than to let you two be there for your friend.”

Roman could feel the corners of his mouth lifting, and Logan was struggling to suppress his own smile.

The guard opened the door, holding it for them.

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Roman gushed on his way through the door. Logan merely nodded, and the guard nodded in return.

“Just do me a favor and make sure not to cause any trouble.”

“Don’t worry, we will!” Roman joked. The guard chuckled, took another sip of coffee, and closed the door. As soon as it sealed, Roman leaned into Logan and whispered, “Okay, now let’s go cause some trouble.”

Logan turned down the hallway. “The sanctuary should be this way.”

They made it to the front of the building with relative ease. They didn’t pass anybody because everyone was already in the sanctuary watching the wedding. Roman took strong, confident strides, eager to reach Patton. The sanctuary doors were open, and he made to walk in, but Logan shot his arm out to stop him, and Roman ran into it. “Hey! What gives?”

“We can’t just waltz into the ceremony.”

“Why not?

“We have to sneak in unnoticed, or we’ll get thrown out on sight. We can’t give ourselves away yet.”

“Everyone’s paying attention to the church guy talking, we can just sneak in the back.”

“We don’t know the layout of the room. That wall could be the side or the front for all we know. No, we need to wait for a distraction.”

“Like what?”

At that moment, they heard a familiar voice yell, “I object to this wedding!”

Logan smiled. “Like Virgil executing the plan.” He didn’t drop his arm, though. He held Roman back, waiting for the perfect moment for both of them to stride in.

Sure enough, a few beats later, they heard, “I’m his fucking alpha!”

“Now!”

They entered the sanctuary to find Virgil standing in the middle of the aisle and Patton descending the alter to run to him. They rushed to reunite with their pack.

***

**Patton**

While standing at the alter with Janus, Patton was dissociating. He couldn’t feel what he was wearing. He couldn’t feel the heat of the lights or the hands he was being forced to hold. He could only see what was directly in front of him, but he didn’t feel like he had the capacity to react to it. He was so tired, so sad, and the only way he could get through this was to convince himself that it wasn’t happening, that it wasn’t real. He went through the motions, letting people lead him around all day, distancing himself from the events his family walked him through. No one would get a smile out of him today.

He let himself image that he was somewhere with Virgil, somewhere better, somewhere that wasn’t here. Honestly, if he could go anywhere on earth, he would go home, his real home with his pack, and just cuddle with Virgil in his bed. If he closed his eyes, he could almost smell him. Almost.

He wished that Virgil was the one standing in front of him.

As if the universe was listening, it delivered to him the one thing that could pull him out of his stupor: Virgil’s voice. “I object to this wedding!”

The words cut through the haze like a knife, and everything came sharply into focus. Patton turned his head, and there he was, standing in one of the pews. He was here! He was actually here! Patton couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up. Virgil’s expression mirrored his own.

He also recognized the voice of the next person to speak up: his father. “Who do you think you are to interrupt this service!”

But Patton couldn’t take his eyes off Virgil. ~~His alpha~~ Virgil was here! He was right there! He watched Virgil shuffle out of the pew and saunter down the aisle. He had everyone’s attention, especially Patton’s. In fact, Patton couldn’t see anyone else. He didn’t want to.

“I’m here to claim Patton.” Claim him? But he couldn’t, he was a—

Virgil smiled with his teeth, his—his sharp alpha teeth! Virgil was an alpha! Patton didn’t really understand how, but Virgil confirmed it when he yelled, “I’m his fucking alpha!”

Patton’s eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t believe it. He was here! And he wanted to claim him? He wanted to claim him! He didn’t have to get married to this person who had abused him, who would continue abusing him. Virgil was here to save him, and he could choose Virgil. He _would_ choose Virgil, if Virgil would have him.

He wanted nothing more than to fly to Virgil’s side, but he had to do one thing before he could. He descended the stairs and stopped in front of his father, who was standing in front of the pew. “Father!”

He turned from glaring at Virgil to glaring at Patton. “What are you doing? Get back up there!”

But for once, Patton didn’t listen. “Your objection to my pack is that I’m unbonded, right? You said you want me to bond with an alpha?”

Patton’s father was a smart man. He knew where Patton was going with this. He understood the loophole he had left for Patton; he just never expected Patton to jump through it. He stood there, infuriated and silent.

Pointing at Virgil, Patton said, “This is the man I imprinted on. _This_ is my choice. I’m about to bond. You have nothing to hold over me!”

Before his father could say anything, he ran down the aisle to Virgil. He smiled the whole way, and so did Virgil. When he reached him, he jumped into his arms, wrapping his own over Virgil’s shoulders, pulling himself up to bury his face in the crook of Virgil’s neck. He took a deep breath full of Virgil’s scent, and he thought to himself, _welcome home_.

***

**Virgil**

After pausing to talk to his father, Patton ran down the aisle. He jumped into his arms, and Virgil caught him. The sleeves of their suit jackets were restricting, but Patton didn’t seem to care. He shoved his face into Virgil’s neck. He giggled, and _god_ had Virgil missed that sound. He leaned down so Patton could stand with his arm around his neck. He pulled back a little, just enough to rest his forehead against Patton’s. Patton whispered. “Virgil.”

“Patton,” Virgil whispered in return.

Patton wrinkled his nose. “Why do you smell like my brother?”

“It’s his jacket.”

Patton snatched his hands back, shoving them under the jacket and into Virgil’s sleeves to slide it off. Virgil let him, and the jacket hit the floor. Virgil laughed. Patton circled his arms back around Virgil and pulled them close again. Patton was _here_ , safe in his arms, and he refused to let him go.

Someone behind them cleared their throat dramatically, and Virgil was content to ignore whoever it was, but Patton recognized the men behind them. “Logan! Roman!” Virgil reluctantly unwound himself from Patton so Patton could properly greet the rest of their pack. Logan and Roman enveloped Patton in a group hug, and Virgil added his body to the mix, encasing Patton between the three of them. Patton didn’t seem to mind, smiling and giggling the whole time.

There was a hand on Virgil’s shoulder trying to pull him back from his pack. Virgil turned around, a growl already on his lips. One of the groomsmen, one of Patton’s cloned brothers, retracted his hand immediately. He backed away slowly, which was very satisfying for Virgil.

“You can growl?” Patton gasped. “You really are an alpha, aren’t you?”

Virgil let the growl die and turned back around. He smiled. “Patton, you’ll never believe it! I’m intersex, so I’m an alpha _and_ a beta.”

“Wow! I bet-a that was a surprise to you!”

Virgil snickered at the pun. It was so nice to have Patton back.

“We can explain everything to you later,” Logan said, “but suffice it to say that Virgil produces pheromones, which means he can bond with you.”

Patton bounced on the balls of his feet. His smile was blinding.

“By the way, thanks for telling us you were getting married,” Roman snarked.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Patton said. “My dad threatened to break us up and claim me in court if I didn’t do what he said. He wants me to bond with an alpha, but I want it to be my choice.”

“It should be your choice,” Roman huffed.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be bonding or getting married. But in order for him to leave us alone, I have to at least bond with an alpha.” He grabbed Virgil’s hand. “And now that I know that Virgil can bond, I want it to be him.”

Virgil balked. “What?” He had expected Patton to be reluctant at best, but he sounded so certain.

Patton took both of Virgil’s hands in his and peered up at him. “I know that this isn’t how proposals are supposed to work, but Virgil, will you bond with me?”

Virgil caught Patton’s pleading eyes and was breathless for a second. He wanted nothing more than for Patton to be happy, but was this really the best way to go about it? “Are you sure?” he challenged. “This is a big step, and it’s not the kind of thing we can take back.”

“Yeah,” Patton said, “but it wouldn’t be all bad. Really nothing would change for you, and for me, it would just protect me from other alphas. And Roman and Logan wouldn’t have to worry about going into rut around me anymore, so they could help me through my heats!”

“But what if you find a partner someday, and you want to bond with them. You wouldn’t be able to, right?”

“No,” Patton admitted, “but we could work around it.” He noticed Virgil’s hesitance and added, “We don’t have to do this. You can say no.”

Roman cut in. “Just remember that if you don’t bond with him, Patton will be forced to marry against his will.”

“Roman!” Patton reprimanded.

“No, he’s right,” Virgil said. “I have to do this. You’re my _pack_ , Patton. And that means something. I’m not going to leave you to get married to some fucker.”

Virgil could practically feel Patton relax. “Thank goodness! Thank you, Virgil!”

“We don’t have to get married, do we?” Virgil asked. “Because I’m not ready for that.” He wasn’t ready to bond either, but there was nothing they could do about that.

Patton giggled. “No, that’s just a formality.”

Virgil nodded. “Okay. What all do I have to do to bond with you? I have to bite you, right?”

“Yeah, you just have to bite me. The officiant will walk you through it. No big deal.”

Virgil balked at the Patton’s casual attitude about it. “ _No big deal_ _?_ ”

“It’s okay,” Patton rushed to reassure him. “If you do it right, it won’t hurt me.”

Virgil started feeling sick. “I don’t know how to do it right.”

“Don’t worry, the officiant will show you.” Patton bounced on the balls of his feet. “Are you ready?”

Virgil gulped. “As I’ll ever be.”

With a smile, Patton grabbed Virgil’s hand and led him to the alter.

***

**Logan**

Logan watched as Patton led Virgil to the front of the room. After they ascended the stairs, Patton called out to the murmuring crowd. “Attention, everyone!” A hush fell over the room. “Change of plans. I will not be bonding and marrying Janus. Instead, I’ll be using this ceremony for you all to witness me bonding with Virgil, the alpha I’ve imprinted with, and” he looked over to where his parents were sitting, “the alpha of my choosing.” There were gasps from the audience, and Logan distinctly caught one woman literally clutching her pearls.

Logan could see but not hear the officiant giving Virgil instructions, telling him where to stand and showing him how to undo the ceremonial omega jacket Patton was wearing. With shaking hands, Virgil unbuttoned the garment at the shoulder which, when pulled away, exposed Patton’s shoulder right where Virgil was to bite him. He watched the officiant walk Virgil through how to pinch the skin so as not to tear any muscle.

The whole time, the crowd murmured, whispering about the scandal of the whole thing. Patton’s family watched helplessly as Patton embarrassed them in front of their friends, and all Logan could think was, _good_. The bride, Janus, at one point tried approaching the pair, to which Virgil responded by growling at her, which sent more gasps through the crowd. Janus must have decided that it wasn’t worth it because she backed off after that. There wasn’t much anyone could do to stop it because Patton had admitted to imprinting on Virgil. Now that everyone knew, it would be cruel for anyone to insist that Patton bond with Janus. Logan was suddenly very grateful that Virgil and Patton had spent so much time together early on and during Patton’s heats.

Finally, he watched Virgil slip his head into the crook of Patton’s neck. He couldn’t see the actual bite itself, but he caught the moment Patton relaxed into Virgil's arms. Logan held his breath, letting it go when Virgil lifted his head. Attendants were at the ready with a bandage for Patton. Virgil secured it, regarding Patton with shining eyes, and Patton was absolutely beaming. After refastening Patton’s jacket, they took each other’s hands and embraced. Swept up in the tenderness of the moment, Logan felt himself smile.

Logan brought his hands together once, and then again, and again. Roman joined him, as did several others from the pews, and slowly, the whole room broke into applause (well, most of the room—Patton’s family was decidedly _not_ clapping. But he did catch a glimpse of Elton smiling, and he felt a pang of fondness towards the kid). The applause only increased when Patton and Virgil pulled apart, took each other's hands once more, and walked back down the aisle. When they reached Logan and Roman, Virgil bent down to pick up a suit jacket, which he slung over his shoulder, and Logan wondered where that had come from (but apparently, it was Virgil’s now). They let Patton and Virgil pass, following them down the aisle and out the door.

After they turned the corner, when they were well and truly alone, Patton and Virgil hugged each other again. Virgil buried his face in Patton’s hair and held him close. Logan was about to point out that people would be coming out of the sanctuary in a minute and that they should leave, but Roman elbowed him, indicating that he should let the pair have their moment. Logan let himself enjoy the moment, relishing in the fact that they had gotten Patton back, and they were no longer at risk from Patton’s family.

Virgil pulled back, caressing Patton’s face. “Let’s go home, shall we?” Patton was beaming all over again.

For once, Logan had to admit that he couldn’t have said it any better himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	34. Small Hours, Little Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton's back!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my tremendous friend Conner for editing this chapter for me. After this, there's only one more to go!
> 
> cw: mention of genitalia, mention of sex (blink and you’ll miss it)

Virgil held Patton’s hand all the way back to the car. After they were out of sight of the church, Roman reached down to grab Patton’s other hand. Logan walked in front of them, navigating them back to the car. In between fits of giggles, Patton asked, “Logan, can you drive? I want to sit in the back with Virgil.”

Logan turned around. “Virgil, would you be okay with me driving your car so you can sit with Patton?”

Virgil hesitated, but tossed Logan the keys. Logan fumbled with them, ultimately dropping them. Patton laughed. “I missed you. I missed you all!”

Roman said, “We missed you, too.”

“It wasn’t the same after you left,” Virgil admitted. “We’ve been arguing with each other a lot.”

“Oh, kiddos!” Patton admonished.

“It was just from the tension of missing you and not knowing whether you were okay,” Roman said. “We took it out on each other.”

“That’s not good,” said Patton, frowning slightly.

Logan turned his head over his shoulder. “No, it really wasn’t. But we were united by the common goal of getting you out.”

“And look!” Roman exclaimed. “My plan worked!”

“Yeah, after getting shut out, separated, and nearly getting caught by one of Patton’s brothers,” Virgil joked. It seemed a lot more humorous now that they had gotten away safely with Patton.

“Wait, what happened with one of my brothers?”

Virgil explained what happened with Elton and how he had helped him. “And then he gave me his jacket and walked away,” he concluded.

Patton shuddered. “I’m sorry you had to meet my dad like that.”

“Well, I’m sorry you have that man for a father,” Virgil said.

They reached the car, and Logan unlocked it for all of them. Roman took the passenger’s seat, while Virgil scooched into the backseat with Patton. Patton pressed right up against Virgil’s side, leaning his head on his shoulder. Virgil wrapped his arm around Patton, and Patton threaded their fingers together. Virgil rested his head on Patton’s.

As Logan started to drive away, Patton asked, “Can we stop by my parents’ house so I can get my stuff?”

“Do you have a key?” Logan asked.

“I know the garage code. I can get in.” He glanced between the three other men. “So, tell me all about how you managed to get in the wedding and pull all that off!”

They took turns, sharing their perspectives of what happened. Logan and Roman were curious about how Virgil had fared on his own, and Virgil wanted to know how Logan and Roman had gotten in. When they were all caught up, Patton said, “Wow, that sounds like quite the heist.”

“It worked out, didn’t it?” Virgil pointed out.

“Only because we realized Virgil is intersex,” Roman said.

“Yeah, tell me about that,” Patton requested.

“You already know most of it. I have the teeth, and I can growl, and I have pheromones, but I can’t smell them.”

“He’s also not as tall and muscular as alphas,” Logan said, “and he doesn’t have a knot.”

“I never said that,” Virgil corrected.

“So, you _do_ have a knot?”

Virgil turned scarlet. “You’ll never know one way or the other.”

“I don’t need to know,” Patton said. “It doesn’t matter to me either way. It’s not like we’re ever going to have sex.”

“Actually, can we talk about that?” Virgil asked.

Patton pulled away from him, and he let him go. “About having sex?”

There were protests from the front seats.

“No. Sorry, that was a terrible segue. What is our relationship now? Are we still just friends? Are we something more than that? Now that we’re bonded, does that change anything? What does it mean for us?”

Patton took Virgil’s hand again. “It can mean whatever you want it to mean.”

“What do _you_ want it to mean?”

Patton looked down at where their hands were joined. “I really like you, Virgil. Obviously, I imprinted on you. But I don’t have a label for it, at least not one that’s so cut-and-dry as ‘friends’ or ‘partners.’ We can be whatever you’re comfortable with. I know this is all new for you, so I’ll go at your pace. I’m happy with whatever makes you happy.”

Virgil hesitated. “You’re not just saying that because you’re an omega and I’m an alpha now?”

Patton winced. “I think part of me always knew you were an alpha. This doesn’t feel like news to me. Besides, I know how to ask for what I want. And what I want is for you to feel comfortable with what we call ourselves.”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know what to call it, but the way I feel about you is like friends but stronger.”

“Queer platonic?” Logan suggested.

“What?”

“It sounds like what you’re describing is that your feelings for Patton are platonic, but they’re too strong for the label ‘friends.’ Would you say that’s accurate?”

Virgil looked down at Patton, noticing how he made Virgil’s stomach do flips, even though he didn’t feel any physical attraction to him other than wanting to cuddle with him. “Yep.”

“Then what you could be experiencing is what is known as a queer platonic relationship. It’s hard to describe because it looks different for everybody, but one way to think about it is that it’s a relationship with the emotional boundaries of a romantic relationship with the physical boundaries of a platonic relationship. You care deeply about each other, you may even want to be life partners, but you would describe your feelings about the other person as platonic rather than romantic.”

“Yeah,” Virgil said, applying Logan’s explanation to the way he felt about Patton. He had just put into words what Virgil could not. “That makes sense.”

“Is that what you’re feeling, Virgil?” Patton asked.

Virgil nodded. He could feel a smile growing on his face.

Patton’s eyes widened. “Do you want to be queer platonic partners?”

Virgil leaned his forehead against Patton’s. “Yes.” Patton smiled in return.

Roman groaned, leaning over to Logan and whispering, “I feel like a chauffeur for newly-weds.”

Logan leaned and whispered, “And you’re not even the one driving.”

***

They spent the evening watching a movie together, but Patton wasn’t paying attention. He was all eyes for Virgil. Virgil was in a similar state. He couldn’t stop looking over at Patton and giggling before returning his attention to the screen, which made Patton giggle. After several rounds of this, Roman joked, “Get a room.” In response, Virgil scooped Patton into his arms, carrying him bridal style out of the living room. Patton laughed, clasping his arms around Virgil’s neck. Roman called for them to come back, yelling at Virgil to stop hogging Patton to himself.

That night, Patton fell asleep in Virgil’s arms, and Virgil didn’t have a trace of anxiety to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying the fic? Leaving kudos and comments are great ways to show appreciation to your friendly neighborhood fic writer!


	35. Epilogue: Day by Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack deals with the aftermath of Patton's stay at his parents' house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the last chapter! Special thanks to my incredible friend Conner as well as my lovely QPP for helping me edit this chapter to make it the best it can be!
> 
> cw: response to trauma, swearing, discussion of abuse, angst

Patton refused to tell them what happened at his parents’ house, even after Virgil spotted the healing bruises and told the others. But they knew that whatever happened, it was bad.

He had nightmares. He would wake up in the middle of the night crying. Virgil had taken to sleeping in Patton’s room, so he was usually there to bring him down. But when he wasn’t, Roman awoke to Patton calling out in his sleep. When Patton finally admitted that the nightmares were worse when he slept alone, Logan created a rotating schedule for the other three to spend the night with him. Virgil ended up taking most of the shifts anyway, but Logan and Roman were there to take his place when he needed a night to himself.

He was constantly on edge. Virgil could see how tense he was, the way his eyes darted around the room like something would happen if he let his guard down. He jumped at every little noise, every time something interrupted the quiet of the apartment. And any startle, no matter how small, could cause him to start hyperventilating. Virgil explained some of the breathing techniques that Emile had taught him, and they helped sometimes. But there was nothing Virgil could do about the persistent tension that Patton carried around with him.

But the worst of it were the outbursts. He would seem to be fine, but anything could set him off. The first time, Logan and Roman were mildly bickering—really, it was more like teasing, nothing close to the full-blown arguments they were capable of—and had that been the extent of it, the conversation would have passed and been forgotten. But Patton turned from where he was sitting and yelled, “Shut up!” It startled Virgil, who was sitting next to him. In response to his own outburst, his eyes went wide, and he darted from the room. Unfortunately for all of them, this became common. Patton would yell at the others, yell at the neighbors, yell at inanimate objects. Virgil had no idea where all of this anger had come from, and it scared him.

When he wasn’t jumpy or lashing out, he just wasn’t there. It was like he’d fallen into a depressive fog, and he couldn’t pull himself out. He spent most mornings lying in bed, scrolling through his phone, refusing to get up, sometimes until well into the afternoon. He was no longer full of the friendly banter he had been before; he barely talked to the others at all. When Virgil would get his attention, he would smile, but it wouldn’t reach his eyes. It broke Virgil’s heart to see him like this.

He stopped talking during pack meetings. When it was his turn to tell the others how he was doing, he would just say, “I’m fine.” When the others pushed, he would become more insistent, simply repeating, “I’m fine,” until he had worked himself up, and by the time it got to the angry yelling, he would flee the room. Virgil supposed that Patton didn’t have a lot to talk about; due to being confined by his family, he had lost his job, so all he did was sit around the apartment all day. But it was unusual for Patton to be reluctant to talk about his feelings.

Finally, after the pack pushed Patton to talk _again_ and Patton ran off _again_ , Virgil voiced what they all had been thinking: “I’m worried about him.”

Roman gestured toward Virgil. “ _Thank_ you. I’m worried too.”

“Yes, I’ve been having similar concerns,” Logan said.

“He hasn’t been the same since he got back,” Roman bemoaned.

“Well, obviously he went through some shit at his parents’ house,” Virgil said. “I wonder if it dug up old trauma.”

Logan said, “I believe whatever he went through is different from what he experienced previously.”

“What do you mean?” Virgil asked.

“I mean, he’s never acted this way before, even when he left his parents’ house the first time. His symptoms were different,” Logan reasoned. “I also believe this time was worse than before because the nightmares are new.”

“And he’s never yelled before,” Roman added. “I mean, he has, but only when we deserved it.”

“Why do you think his parents treated him so much worse than before?” Virgil asked.

“I don’t think it was his parents,” Logan said.

“Why not?” Roman challenged. “Those bastards have proven that they don’t care about Patton’s well-being if it means getting him to do what they want.”

“Because of the bruises,” Logan pointed out. “Despite everything they did to Patton before, they were never physically abusive. Yet this time, physical abuse seems to have been a cornerstone of his experience.”

“If it wasn’t his parents, then who?” Virgil asked.

Logan glanced between Virgil and Roman, who looked equally as confused. “Isn’t it obvious?” Both the other alphas shook their heads. “It was Janus.”

Roman hit the table. “That slimy son of a—"

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Virgil said, cutting Roman off.

“But, that’s just a theory,” Logan cautioned. “We can’t know for sure unless Patton tells us.”

Roman signed. “I wish he would talk to us.”

Virgil glanced in the direction of Patton’s bedroom. “I’m going to go talk to him,” he said. He stood and moved toward the hall.

Logan held up a hand. “Virgil, he’s obviously not ready to talk about his trauma. Don’t force him to tell you anything he’s not ready for.”

“I’m just going to ask him how he’s really doing. See if I can get him to open up about that at least.” And with that, Virgil walked the rest of the way down the hall.

Patton’s door was ajar, and Virgil pushed it open. Patton was curled in a ball on his bed, his face buried in the pillow Virgil usually used. Virgil knocked on the door to let Patton know he was there.

“Go away,” Patton said.

“You know,” Virgil said, “you keep saying you’re fine, but all I’m seeing is the opposite. Patton, we know you’re not okay. And we want you to talk to us about it.”

Patton peered up from his pillow to glare at Virgil.

“Okay, I know you don’t want to talk about what your parents did to you. Fine. But can you tell us how you’re doing, at least?”

“I’m. Fine.”

“No, you’re not. C’mon, Patton, one thing.” Virgil advanced into the room and sat on Patton’s bed. “Just tell me one thing about how you’re really doing, good or bad, and I’ll leave you alone.”

They maintained eye contact for several seconds. Patton’s eyes softened, and he sighed. He sat up, bringing the pillow with him and continuing to hug it against himself. He shifted his gaze down to the ground, and softly, he said, “I’m tired.”

“What?” Virgil couldn’t quite hear him.

“I’m tired!” Patton yelled. “There, are you happy? I’m tired. But I can’t sleep because I’m scared and anxious all the time, and that just makes me even more tired. And even when I can sleep, the nightmares keep me from getting any rest, which just makes it worse. And for some reason I’m angry, I’m just really angry, and that’s exhausting, too. And I can’t do all the things I used to do like cleaning and cooking because I’m so tired, and that makes me sad, and even that takes energy that I don’t have. Because it’s not just my mind that’s tired, it’s my body too. I can’t relax, and everything hurts. The bruises—I can’t even look at myself. And I can’t be comforted by pillows that smell like me anymore because they remind me of being at my parents’ house, and it brings all the memories back. I’m so tired and scared all the time, and there’s no relief from it, Virgil!” He buried his head back in the pillow just as the tears started to fall. From the pillow, he asked, “Are you happy now?”

Virgil sighed. He hadn’t expected one thing to snowball into an avalanche of emotion, but here they were. All he could think about was comforting Patton. “Can I rub your back?”

Patton paused, considering, but ultimately shook his head, deciding instead to comfort himself by rocking back and forth. It was distressing to Virgil to know that Patton needed comfort and to be unable to give it to him.

Based on what Patton said, Virgil had an idea. “Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?”

Patton froze, clearly surprised, and he lifted his head. “What?”

“Do you want to sleep in my room tonight? Everything smells like me, and there’s no reminders of your parents’ house. My bed is garbage, so it might be hard to sleep, but if you’re having trouble sleeping anyway, then what do you have to lose?”

Patton started rocking again, looking down at the ground. “Will you be in there with me?”

“Of course.”

Patton sniffed. “Okay. We can try.” He wiped the tears from his face.

That night, they spooned in Virgil’s bed. Even though Virgil slept fitfully from sharing his tiny bed with another person, he woke up to the realization that it was morning, and Patton had slept through the night. When Patton stirred, Virgil asked how he slept. “Not well,” Patton admitted, “but the nightmares weren’t as bad, so I guess that’s good.”

They cuddled for a good long while. Virgil almost thought Patton had fallen back asleep, until he rubbed the back of Virgil’s hand where Virgil was holding him. “Virgil, can I call a pack meeting?”

He yawned. “You don’t have to ask my permission.”

“But do you think the others would be okay with it?”

Virgil smiled, even though Patton couldn’t see it. “I know they would.”

So they congregated in the living room, all packing themselves onto the couch at Patton’s insistence. Patton ended up mostly on Virgil’s lap and partly on Roman’s, but neither of them said anything. Patton grabbed Virgil’s hand and started tracing circles with his thumb, staring at their joined hands intently. “I’m not okay,” Patton finally admitted.

They all were thinking it, but everyone had the decency not to say, _we know_.

“I’m not okay,” Patton continued, “and I don’t know what to do to be okay.”

“Have you considered therapy?” Logan suggested. Patton flinched. Logan noticed. “There’s a lot of stigma against going to therapy, but it’s a proven treatment for mental health concerns.”

“It’s helped me so much,” Virgil said.

“Can’t afford it,” Patton responded. “No job and no insurance, remember?”

“Some therapists have payment plans on a sliding scale based on income. The goal of a good therapist, or any doctor, is to treat people regardless of their ability to pay,” Logan said.

“If you want, you can come to my next appointment with Emile,” Virgil offered. “If the appointment is under my name, my insurance will be charged for it. You’ll be able to talk to him, and he might be able to help you, or at least help you find someone who can.”

Patton looked at Virgil. “I don’t want to impose on your time with your therapist.”

“Trust me, if we can help you, that would help me.”

Patton looked down. “Is it that hard to be around me?”

Virgil shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. That’s not it at all. I care about you, and it’s hard to watch you suffer. It will make me feel better for you to feel better.”

Patton nodded. “I want to feel better.”

“Then let’s talk to Emile.”

***

“You must be Patton,” Emile greeted when he walked in. “It’s so nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Patton said as he gripped Virgil’s hand.

“Virgil’s told me so much about you,” Emile laughed and waved his hand. “All good things, I promise.”

“So, he hasn’t talked about the way I’ve been acting lately?” Patton asked.

Emile sat down, suddenly serious. “No, he has. He’s worried about you. He cares about you a lot. And I mean, _a lot_.”

Virgil gave him a tight smile. “Thanks, Doc.”

“But, I’d like to hear more about what you’ve been going through from your perspective. And if there’s anything you want to tell me that you’re not ready for Virgil to hear, we can just ask him to step outside for a bit.”

 _Whose therapy session is this again,_ Virgil found himself wondering. But he had specifically requested this from Emile, so he supposed he had nothing to complain about. But Patton just tightened his grip on Virgil’s hand, and Virgil figured that he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Patton walked Emile through what he’d told Virgil after the last pack meeting. Emile asked clarifying questions which Patton answered, some more willingly than others. The whole time, Patton firmly gripped Virgil’s hand, and Virgil suspected that he was having a hard time trusting Emile. But he was opening up and actually talking about how he was doing, so that was a step in the right direction.

Emile tried to probe into Patton’s trauma surrounding his family. Patton just sealed his lips and shook his head, refusing to say anything. “Remember,” Emile said, “if you’re not ready to tell Virgil, we can ask him to leave.”

Patton just continued to shake his head.

“Can you tell me why you don’t want to talk about it?”

Patton paused to think. “It’s hard.”

“It is hard,” Emile admitted, “and scary too, I bet.”

Patton nodded.

“I won’t make you talk about it until you’re ready. But you _should_ talk about it, eventually. Talking about it will help you heal. But it won’t help unless you feel safe doing it. And if you’re not ready today, then you don’t have to.”

Patton visibly relaxed. “I don’t want to talk about it unless this becomes a more permanent thing.”

“I understand. I’m more than happy to treat you, if that’s your preference, and we can discuss payment options later. But before you make that decision, you have to understand that I don’t specialize in trauma. I can’t help you as well as someone who does. But I can give you recommendations for trauma therapists who are really good at their jobs.”

Patton got lost in thought for a bit, and then looked back up at Emile. “Can I see you a couple of times on my own before I go see someone else? You seem really nice, and Virgil trusts you, and I trust his judgment. I’d just like to have some positive experiences with therapy before I try someone completely new.”

Emile smiled. “Of course.”

Virgil smiled, relieved that Patton was finally getting help.

***

Patton called an impromptu pack meeting after his first solo session with Picani.

“Emile said I should ask for help when I need it. So this is me asking for help.” He looked around at all his packmates where they were seated at the table. “I can’t do all the cleaning and cooking I used to do. I know that I don’t have a job, but my mental health issues drain all the energy out of me, and what little I have left all goes to recovering. I need everyone to step up to help keep the apartment clean and everyone fed. And of course, I can help, but not very much. And hopefully I’ll get better and be able to do all that stuff again.”

“You shouldn’t have to do more than your fair share anyway,” Roman pointed out.

“Indeed,” Logan said. “I would like to offer you an apology on everyone’s behalf that we ever let the chore load become so disproportionate.”

Virgil nodded.

Patton’s shoulders slumped, and a small smile lit up his face. “Thank you all.”

Logan opened his notepad and started making a grid. “So, shall we restructure our cleaning duties?”

The others didn’t realize just how much Patton had taken on. Virgil apologized profusely to Patton for slacking while he worked so hard around the house, and each time Patton assured him that it wasn’t a big deal until he had gotten back. They restructured the cooking schedule, too, so that Patton was only cooking once a week with help from one of the others. When Roman looked at the sum-total of his new responsibilities, he melodramatically groaned, but he was smiling, and everyone laughed.

Every time Virgil looked over at Patton, the small smile was still there.

***

One day, Virgil woke to an alarm that he hadn’t set. Patton turned it off, and he sat up and stretched. Virgil rubbed his eyes. “Pat’n?”

“Sorry, Virge, no time to talk.” He hopped out of bed.

Virgil dozed for a while. But he awoke with a start when he realized that Patton never came back. He threw the covers off and went to go look for him.

He found Patton in the kitchen making pancakes. He was humming. It had been so long since Virgil had seen him like this, it was bizarre. “Patton?”

Patton jumped and turned toward the sound of Virgil’s voice. “Good morning, Virgil!” he said chipperly. “There’s coffee ready if you want some, or I can make you some tea.”

“Coffee would be great.” Virgil blinked. “Are you making breakfast?”

“Yeah!” There was a huge smile on his face. He got out a mug and poured Virgil some coffee, resuming his humming. He made it just the way Virgil liked, and Virgil was surprised he remembered. There were a lot of surprises this morning, apparently.

Virgil sat down at the dining room table. “Why. . . ?”

He brought Virgil the mug. “I’ve been planning this for a while. I felt good last night, so I figured this morning would be a good time to do it, because everyone’s got the day off, too.” He went back to the stove. “We’ve got pancakes and fresh fruit! Don’t worry, I didn’t make them from scratch. I know my limits. They’re from that box mix we have in the pantry, so they won’t be as good, but I did it myself! And that feels good.”

Virgil let him ramble, enjoying the fact that Patton was cheerful. It was a nice change from the storm cloud that seemed to hang over his head nowadays. This morning, there was nothing but sunshine.

Logan and Roman were equally as shocked when they discovered Patton’s morning project. They both appeared pleasantly surprised at his demeanor, as well. Roman struck up a conversation with Patton, who gladly engaged with it. All of them sat down to eat together, and Virgil and Logan joined the conversation. With Patton laughing and smiling, Virgil could let himself believe that things were going back to normal.

Unfortunately, halfway through breakfast, Patton’s shoulders slumped, and the smile fell from his face. He propped his elbows on the table and sighed.

“Patton? You doing okay?” Virgil asked.

“I just got really tired all of a sudden,” Patton admitted. Virgil could tell that the storm cloud was back.

Virgil nodded once decisively. “That’s okay. We’ll do the dishes, and you just rest. Deal?”

Patton sighed again. “But I wanted to make breakfast extra special for everyone.”

“And you did,” Logan said. “But now, you’ve expended all your energy, and you need to replenish it.”

Patton nodded, but he still looked sad.

They finished eating, and Virgil collected the plates. He started the dishes while Patton went to lay down on the couch. With Logan and Roman helping him, the dishes didn’t take too long.

Logan was finishing drying, and Virgil walked over to the couch. Patton heard him, opening his eyes and offering him a smile. “Hey.”

“Hi. Thanks for breakfast.”

“It was my pleasure. I just wish I could do it more often.”

“You will,” Virgil assured him. “You’re making progress. Just remember that progress isn’t linear. It’s important for you to be kind to yourself.”

“I don’t think you and the others will let me do anything else.”

Virgil smiled. “Can I join you?”

Patton nodded. He moved his legs so Virgil could sit down. Virgil took a seat in the middle of the couch, scooping Patton onto his lap. Patton giggled and wrapped his arms around Virgil’s neck, snuggling into him. Roman, finished washing the dishes, came over, too. “My turn!” He declared. He lifted Patton’s legs and placed himself under them. Patton giggled again.

Logan replaced the towel on the rack, and he started to walk back to his room. “Logan,” Patton said, “come sit with us!”

“I was going to read my book.”

“Bring it out here,” Virgil suggested.

“Ugh, fine.” He grabbed his book, came back out, and plopped on the couch. He leaned his back up against Patton’s, and he slung his legs over the arm of the couch.

Virgil looked around at the people closest to him, at the family he had created. Going into this living arrangement, he never could have guessed that he would end up here, but here he was. These people had taught him what it meant to be a family, and he never wanted to go back.

Patton tapped Virgil on the cheek, and Virgil turned his head. “What’cha thinking about?” Patton asked.

Virgil smiled. “I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, the end of A Humble Abode. We made it!
> 
> I started brainstorming for this at the end of June 2020, and I drafted for most of the summer. I started posting it on August 29, and I've been updating it ever since. Unfortunately, I don't have another project ready to post now that A Humble Abode is finished, but I have several ideas that could potentially make their way onto AO3 in the future.
> 
> Of course, I couldn't have done this without Conner, who has stuck with me as my beta reader and editor since the beginning. Conner, this story is better because you were a part of it. Even if you managed to sneak in some crack. . .
> 
> I would like to give a special thank you to all of you, the readers, for taking the time to read this fic from start to finish. And for everyone who left a comment: I cherish each and every one of you. You give me the motivation to keep going and do what I do.
> 
> And of course, I would love to hear what you think of the last chapter! Don't forget to leave one last comment for your friendly neighborhood fic writer!  
> -Musicmuse


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